Torrential Thunderstorms
by MissBiankadonk
Summary: Thor's mighty hammer goes missing the night before the battle at Jotunheim and cannot be seen by the great guardian of Asgard. A legend hidden from the universe on Earth to prevent future wars is now thrown right into one and must choose a side.
1. Prologue

_All was silent in the universe. The peace that clung to all the nine realms could never be pulled apart. One realm in particular was in preparation for a very important event. The sun's brilliance and power shone down on the glorious Asgard, the home of the Gods in all manner of speaking. It was a wondrous day and worthy of celebration for a child was to be born. The lucky parents were good friends of the Odin King, old war buddies from long ago. They were being blessed with their first child after so many years of wishing. Odin was to celebrate their unity as a new and whole family._

_In the greats halls of the palace, the King awaited with an assembly of people including his beautiful wife and two sons. The gold doors opened and the whole family walked through towards their king. He stepped down to greet the happy couple and noticed not just one bundle in their arms but two identical twin girls. They were so pleased in finding out that they were not only have one beautiful daughter but two. It was truly a wondrous day to celebrate. The Odin King regarded the sleeping babies with quick concern but it soon washed away when he saw how happy his friend looked. The twins did not entirely look alike for one had a freckle on her cheek. What a blessing this truly was._

_'Our King,' the mother smiled. 'It would be such a great honor if you would to bless our daughters for good health and long life.'_

_'Every child is blessed,' his smile was tender. 'Under my watch, they shall always be protected and they shall prosper.'_

_The love between the couple was plainly obvious to the Odin King. His friend had longed for a family of his own as long as he had known him. A child to raise in his own image like that of his king and good friend. They were not sons but they were even better now that they were in his arms. The Queen and her two sons came down to bless the daughters as well with gifts of their own. His eyes fell upon Thor as he gently places his hand on the head of one of the daughters. Loki soon followed and seemed quick curious about the specks on one of the babies' faces. Odin looked down at the scene before him. The memories of when he looked upon his sons as little ones flooded into his heart. How happy he felt to see the people before him._

_The celebrations continued in the city of Asgard. The King was about to retire for the evening when a messenger rushed into the room. He banged his chest with a fist and bowed. The message was from Heimdall, the gatekeeper at the edge of the city. It was about urgent matters to be discussed in person. Moments later, the two were facing one another in the chamber of the Bifrost._

_'What urgent matters must you report at a time like this?' He was not angered but concerned. 'It is a day of celebration, not that of ill news.'_

_'It is to do with the origin of the celebrations,' he paused. 'How many children were blessed with the gift of life on this day?'_

_'Two beautiful daughters were given to a dear friend.'_

_'I only see one,' Heimdall spoke after a long pause._

_'Is it what I've feared?' He turned away to look upon his golden kingdom._

_'The father's prophecy of your demise is close at hand. What will you do?'_

_'Wait and see if anything comes of the child. It would break my heart to see a family torn apart.'_

_'Your decision has sealed your fate.'_

The great chamberhall in the palace didn't quite have an uplifting mood. The sons of Odin stood together, one with the temper of a thousand storms and the other calm as an untouched pond. Thor could not contain his temper or his anger for that matter. How could he let such a thing happen? How could such a thing happened? Blessed he was with unbelievable strength that he could finally wield the hammer, Mjolnir, but what did it all mean at this point? Nothing. He was nothing without it. His younger brother tried to reason with him but his cool words only fed the raging fire before him. He quickly turned to face the golden figure that was quickly approaching them, their father.

'What is it, my sons,' the Odin King stopped only a few paces away. 'What urgent matters do you speak of?'

'It's gone,' Thor hit the hall and turned around. 'Mjolnir has gone missing.'

'Please say you are playing a joke on me?'

'Would I joke about such a matter?' He was at the point of yelling. 'Do you not see it at my side? Go to the chamber of relics and see the empty pedestal.'

'Thor,' his brow wrinkled and turned to walk away. 'You have great power and for that you can wield Mjolnir with ease and confidence. You also have a strong head on your shoulders. Go find it!'

'I was supposed to ride to Jotunheim tonight,' he pursued his father down the hall. 'I was to show them their place within the realms. To show them who's truly in power. How can I without Mjolnir?'

'You will do no such thing,' he turned around to face his firstborn. 'Did it ever cross your mind that perhaps another person had taken it and it wielding it now? And maybe for destructive purposes.'

'What do you suggest I do then? Ride out to each realm and look for it myself?' He finally raised his voice. He jaw clenched as he waited for his answer.

'It's not a suggestion but an order from your king. This kingdom is not safe until it's back in our hands. Anything goes astray will be placed upon your shoulder. You are to be king of Asgard. Start acting like one.'

With those final words, he left his son with his thoughts. Out of the palace and on horseback, the Odin King traveled to the Bifrost to talk to his most loyal servant. He dismounted and walked towards the entrance to the bridge that connected to the other realms. There he stood, hands resting on the hilt of his sword, forever watching the worlds before him. Relaxed he was when the King approached. With great weight upon his shoulders, the King asked the one question he thought he would never have to ask.

'Heimdall,' he stood tall. 'Pray tell me, do you see the hammer? Do you see Mjolnir?'

'I see all,' he paused. 'But I am blind to the mighty hammer of Thor.'


	2. Chapter 1

The tension in the palace had grown in the last few weeks. No one was speaking to one another within the palace. Thor had decided to seclude himself even more to make sure no one spoke to him about the current situation. Years, maybe even decades, he trained to be able to wield the hammer and be honored with the task of protecting all the nine realms, to be King of Asgard. All that time wasted and the announced for him to be heir to the throne delayed even more. Jaw clenched, he knocked over anything that was within arms' reach.

'I see my dear brother is still troubled,' a figure slowly approached from what seemed like thin air.

'This is not a good time to be pestering me with your words, Loki.'

'I wish to just sooth your anger, to restore what is lost,' he bowed slightly.

'Then do you suggest something different than our King?' He turned around to face him. 'Is this one of your pranks? Do you have it?'

It was clear the torment Thor was experiencing. His hard face expressed anger, stress but his eyes said something different, fatigue, regret. Loki had been by his side from the beginning. The years of training to finally wield a weapon that was worthy of him only to have it disappear. Loki could always read his brother like a book since they were children. The blonde always portrayed an air of confidence and strength for the sake of the people around him.

'I suggest you follow his orders. Find it yourself.'

'This should not have happened!' He shouted and came face to face with his brother, attempting to restrain his actions. 'When I find Mjolnir, I will kill the person who took it from me with my own hands.'

Loki stepped back from his brother, his eyes never leaving his. He would be leaving at sunset on his quest to find what was lost to him. The first Odin-son regarded his brother one last time, turned away and left his younger sibling to wait his glorious return. But waiting is something he would not do and his brother's return is something he was going to prevent. Seeing the blonde leave the palace, Loki took a moment to himself and then turned away into thin air.

The weekend forecast was looking to be the perfect weather to be outside. One would have to be crazy not to spend the weekend outside enjoying the sun and barbecuing with friends or family by the poolside. Unfortunately for Samantha, she was going to be trapped inside all weekend with no hope of seeing the gorgeous weather or anytime for herself. At the corner of her eye she saw Marco glance over at her. She instantly crossed her arms and looked out the car window.

'How long are you not going to talk to me for?' He kept his eyes on the road.

'Until I get a weekend to myself for once.'

'Don't be like this. You do this every time it's a nice day outside.'

'That's because I want to be outside instead of inside,' she finally looked over at him. 'I have readings to complete. I'm not done the ones you've given me this week.'

'Samantha,' he looked at her. 'You finished those readings.'

'Agent Maxwell,' she only used his formal title when she was cross with him. 'How do you know?'

'Samantha,' he sighed. 'You know your training is important. You'll forget about this once you get there anyways.'

'But I'm bored with my training. I want to use weapons and learn to actually fight. Please?'

'You know you're not allow.'

'I'll be gentle this time,' she pulled her best smile.

'No,' he kept forward. 'And that's an order.'

And that was the end of that. He had seen right through her. She had completed the readings he'd given her so she really couldn't use it to get out of training. She kept her arms crossed for a few moments more before relaxing them. There was no point in arguing. This had been her life. Schooling and hobbies during the week and then training on the weekends. It had always been her and Marco as long as she could remember. He was some agent for a large organization, a real higher up so he had time to be both her teacher, training and father figure.

Looking out the window, they entered the underground parking area of the building she knew so well. Headquarters was always a busy place no matter the time of day it seemed. Samantha understood that Marco was real important but she still couldn't get over other people stopping and saluting him. She would always smile ridiculously and get a glared from him at the corner of his eye. No one really knew him like she did.

They entered the training quarters where they changed into the proper attire. Returning from the changing rooms, she looked upon Marco preparing the area. His light brown hair was tied back and the training suite complimented his large, muscular build. He turned around and smiled a warm smile that reached his kind green eyes. He was definitely a different person around her rather than the suite sporting agent he usually was around Headquarters. Tying back her curly brown hair, he approached her carrying what looked like training weapons.

'I think these are in order,' he held up a training sword.

'Marco, Marco,' she crossed her arms. 'Why the sudden change in attitude?'

'I have given it some thought,' he stood up to his full height. 'And it seems you have mastered non-weapon techniques.'

'So?'

'I'm trusting you to be gentle.'

Samantha looked at her trainer very hard. Last time they had engage in combat with weapons got a little out of hand. They had to build a new training quarter. Since that little incident, Samantha had been working on close quarter combat and using one's force against themselves. It was interesting but nothing gave the thrill of having a weapon in hand. A mischievous smile appear on her face as she held the training sword in hand. Maybe this weekend wasn't going to be a waste afterall. Stepping back, she settled into her stance.

'And that's a wrap,' Marco kicked her down.

Samantha stayed where she had fallen. Her exposed skin and most of her training uniform was drenched in sweat. They had been training for the last two days, only taking a break to sleep and eat in the guest quarters. Samantha lifted her head up with great effort and looked at him. He had beaten her down in every aspect of the swordplay. She could not beat him even when she tried to cheat. How could he be so well rounded in every aspect of combat? It was not fair. Marco appeared at her side and helped her up.

'You did good, Samantha,' he patted her on the shoulder. 'So training is not boring anymore, is it?'

'I like this new regiment,' she smiled.

'Go shower off and change. I'll meet you at the car?'

'Okay!'

She quickly changed and headed out to the parking lot where the car was waiting for her. Stepping into the car, she settled into the seat and dozed. It was a long drive home and she was tired. Marco shook her shoulder to wake her and she seemed to sleepwalk into the house. Taking a quick shower, she climbed into bed. She lied there for a bit and was about to fall asleep when a flash a light filled the room. Thunder made her jump out of bed and look out the window. In the distance beyond the low mountains, she saw a type of tornado form. It was something she had never seen before and with another flash of light, it was gone. Climbing back into bed, she pulled the covers over her head and fell to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

At first light, Samantha stirred from her sleep. She slowly opened her blue eyes to look at the clock. She had slept more than twelve hours yet she still felt tired and more so sore! Groaning, she pushed aside her blankets and struggled to reach her personal bathroom. Looking into the mirror, her brown curly hair was everywhere. Looking away, she tired her hair back, cleaned her face and decided to grace the house with her presence.

Not bothering to change out of her pajamas, the young woman slowly stepped down the stairs and noticed Marco sitting on the couch in the living room. She made her way towards him and tried not to show that she was just a little sore. She noticed right away at the corner of her eye that he was hiding a smile behind his mug of tea. He made room for her to sit comfortably and continued reading his book as she sat down.

'How are you feeling today?' He continued to read his book with a smug look on his face. 'You slept a good while. Sore?'

'I guess I'm just out of practice. Muscles I haven't used in a while,' she finally relaxed into the couch. 'You're dressed? Did you go somewhere?'

'I actually just got back from Headquarters,' he regarded her for a while before continuing. 'You know, the usual routine. They take my blood and brainwash me.'

'You think you're so funny.'

She smiled and was about to laugh but knew it would hurt too much. Relaxing for a bit, he continued to read his book as she tried not to move. Finally realizing that it was futile, she slowly got up and decided to stretch for a bit. She headed towards the kitchen when she could comfortably move without her muscles screaming at her. Entering the kitchen, she immediately put on the kettled and opened the fridge in hopes to find something to eat. She was starving.

'There's nothing to eat,' he walked into the kitchen. 'Would you like to accompany me to breakfast?'

'Waffle House!' She spun around. 'But what about school work?

'Don't worry about that today,' he smiled. 'Worry about food right now.'

'Where is Agent Maxwell and what have you done with him?'

'Just enjoy the sudden lapse in personality and get ready.'

Moving as quickly as she could, she headed back upstairs to shower and change into some clothes. Grabbing her backpack, she stuffed her laptop and sketchbook inside. Thinking she had everything for the day, she headed back downstairs. Marco was on his phone with a concerned look on his face which disappeared when she entered the kitchen. The two left the house to go eat together. Eating out was always a huge deal for them because of the attention they would always get. The waitress and the people around would watch in awe as they consumed more than triple the amount they should. They were hungry and had to eat. It just happened to be more than the average human.

'Are we always going to do swordplay or something different?' She looked at the menu to see what else was on there. 'I liked it alot. It was different.'

'Really?' He finished his tea. 'What would you like to learn?'

'I don't know. Pole, spears or even axes,' she sounded distant.

'Axes?' He put down his cup and looked at her.

'Yeah,' she looked down. 'What if I encounter a tree monster. I can chop him down.'

'Sammy,' he stood up after getting the bill. 'Tree monsters? Where did you get an idea like that?'

'You never knew now do you,' she followed him. 'You can never be too prepared for any type of apocalypse.'

'Okay. Do you mind if we stop off at Headquarters for a bit,' he changed the subject. 'I need to settle something.'

Marco was notorious for changing the subject when it came down to her notions of the fantastical taking over the world. She guessed that he didn't have the imagination for it or just thought it was silly. Practical men had better things to think about. They got in the car and Samantha instantly turned on the radio. It was going to be a long drive to Headquarters. As soon as the car started to reached into her backpack, pulled out her sketchbook and started to draw. A while past and Marco suddenly turned off the radio. She was about to protest when she noticed that he was pulling over. Looking out the window, she saw a bunch of cars haphazardly parked on the side of the highway. Her father parked the car and they looked out at the desert to see a large crater and a whole bunch of people standing in the center of it.

'It seems the regular hang outs aren't interesting enough nowadays,' she turned to Marco. 'Partying in the desert must be the new thing.'

'It's not about the partying,' he frowned. 'It's about what's in the crater.'

They both climbed out of the car and headed into the desert. At the crater's edge, Marco put up his hand for her to stop and he continued towards the group of people. Looking around, she noticed that it was a pretty random place. There was the highway one way and then the low mountains another. Wait, the low mountains. Could this be the place that the tornado suddenly formed and went last night? Her curiosity was too much for her to handle and she stepped into the crater to check things out.

There were a few trucks parked around. People were drinking and eating as if they were in someone else's backyard. Marco was flashing his badge to a few people but they didn't seem to react the way he wanted them to. The drunken fools just laughed at him and commented on how large of a man her was. He definitely didn't look like the average agent. Maybe keeping in the shadows and letting the more normal agents hadn't things was best. She smiled and then turned her attention towards the people that were huddled together. They were cheering but there were also a few cries of anguish.

Squeezing in, she laid eyes upon the object of everyone's attention. It looked like a hammer. No, it definitely was a hammer. But that is not what caught her interest. The longer she looked upon it, the more she could see that it had some sort of glow to it, an aura perhaps. She stepped a little closer and heard something. A song maybe. She quickly ignored it when she saw Marco arguing with some of the men.

'It's a hammer,' she joined him. 'What's this all about?'

'What are you doing here?' His head snapped around to look at her. 'Get back to the car this instant!'

She was taken aback. He had never snapped at her like that before. He pointed to the car as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. This was a serious matter, he was for sure calling Headquarters. Disappearing into the crowd, she frowned as the men who were trying with all their might to lift it. Well this didn't make any sense to her. Who would be cruel enough to bolt it down to the ground so no one could lift it. It was either a terrible prank or a brilliant one. She hadn't decided yet. She watched with great interest and one of the men noticed that she was staring at it.

'Does the little lady want to try?' Clearly he was drunk.

'No, I really don't think I can do it,' she raised her hands in defense.

'Come on,' he pulled her arm. 'You won't know until you try.'

They weren't going to let her leave without trying. She was the only female in the area which she just noticed. She suddenly didn't feel comfortable with the amount of people looking at her. Her eyes slowly looked upon the hammer before her with its odd subtle glowing. Her heart began to race. There was only one ending to all this and the quicker she got to it the quicker she could leave. Stepping closer, she heard the song again. Was it coming from the hammer? She slid her hand onto the handle and her entire body went rigid with pain. She wanted to let it go but she couldn't. A burning sensation was surging through her body and she soon found herself on the ground.

'Samantha!'

Her name was called again and she felt Marco's strong arms turn her over. The burning sensation continued to flow through her body. It was something she had never felt before. With every pulse she flinched in pain. What had just happened? She managed to open her eyes and see the scared face of Marco. He was speaking to her but she could not hear him. She was trying with all her might to stay conscious. Opening her mouth to speak, she passed out instantly.

_The afternoon sun was shining down on a courtyard filled with combat dummies, weapons and more. It is where men of great power, young men wanting to grow in power and those wishing for both came to train. But one of the trainees was not a man or a young boy. A young lady with curly brown hair wielding a double-edged axe was facing her trainer. The axe was a lot larger than one meant for her size but she seemed to wield it as if lighter than air. One would see her as an odd piece in the setting but she was actually a regular visitor._

_Her trainer, a man with light brown hair, lunged forward with his weapon and she simply knocked it away. He spun around to attack again but she was quicker. The lesson wasn't about attack. It was about using the enemies force against them. Frowning, he lowered his weapon to start the lesson from the beginning. The girl's shoulders slumped down and a few of the men had a good chuckle. Stepping back into position, she readied herself. They continued and yet she couldn't do what he wanted her to do. She was getting tired and she finally thought she saw her opportunity. Swinging her axe, he blocked it and kicked her to the ground. It was enough for one day and he helped her up._

_'I think more practice is at hand,' he smiled down at her._

_'I like fighting rather than avoiding.'_

_'You will learn, young one.'_

_She smiled at him as he patted her on the shoulder. A few of the men were looking at her with admiration. She was young but she had excelled further than most of them there. They were impressed for she was a woman after all. Packing up for the day, the two started to head down the road to go home. At the crossroads, she met up with another young woman who wrapped her arms around her. It was her twin sister. Holding hands, they walked home together._

_In the shadows, eyes as cold as ice watched their every move. Getting ready for the day that they would be in his possession._


	4. Chapter 3

Thor had returned from his search of the five out of nine realms, none of them bearing any fruit of where the hammer could be. No one seen or heard anything and others were more concerned that he was there than a hammer. Standing alone in his chambers, he prepared himself for a much needed rest. Before he could even step towards his bed, there was a knock on the door. Turning his head slightly, he saw at the corner of his eye Loki stepping into the room. Quickly facing away, he was tempted to just walk out of his chambers entirely.

'You return so soon,' his voice was calm. 'I hope you come home in a better mood.'

'I come home empty handed,' he turned to face him. A look of anguish on his face.

'I thought your return meant-'

'I only stay for the night,' he calmed a little. 'I leave again in the morning.'

'Have you spoken to father?' Loki tested his brother's patience by stepping further into the room.

'I have nothing to say to him.'

'Talking is something I wasn't suggesting.'

Thor without moving shifted his eyes to look upon his brother. They had known each other for centuries and he knew the moment when his brother was planning something. Or maybe for once he was not toying with the people around him and wanted to genuinely help. Afterall, Loki was the one to always use his mind instead of muscle. He would be a good king until the enemy was at the doorstep.

'Brother,' he came even closer. 'What would you say if the location of Mjolnir was known?'

'Please do not give me hope,' he clenched his fists. 'I would go to it immediately.'

'There's a problem with you doing that though,' he stepped away. 'A complication of the sort.'

'There is something you are hiding,' he followed him. 'Please don't be cruel and tell me what you know.'

'I've discovered something... Something that was supposed to be hidden forever. Someone that could help you in your victory against Jotunheim.'

'Brother,' he was quickly losing his patience.

'Do not worry, my dear brother,' he smiled. 'I will bring it to you and we will rejoice once again in happy times. Let's say it's a gift for my future king.'

There was something in his eyes that Thor could recognize. As children they would get in all sorts of trouble by his hand, of course. He was into the playful trouble, nothing serious. It was all good trouble. Now being older, the blonde saw how this could become a problem but he trusted and loved him. He most likely discovered something of great importance and he wanted to know what it was. But what would help him in the victory against Jotunheim other than Mjolnir?

Stirring from what seemed like an eternity of sleep, Samantha opened her blue eyes to a white room she did not recognize. She turned her head and looked at the beeping machines next to her. Was she in the medical quarter at Headquarters? How did she get here? She fixed her gaze at the ceiling and tried to remember the last thing she did. The sound of the door opening made her look away and lift up her head. She saw a man in a white coat walk to the end of her bed. He was carrying a clipboard and looked all official.

'How are you feeling, Miss Samantha?' He looked down at his clipboard. 'It's good to see you're finally awake.'

'How long have I been here?' She could barely speak. 'Where's Agent Maxwell?'

'Almost a week,' he smiled at her. 'Now, you have to tell me how you feel. Any pain?'

'No,' she lied. 'Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a little tired.'

'That will past.'

'Can I see Agent Maxwell?'

'He's quite busy at the moment actually.'

The man in white smiled the most fake smile, quickly looked at all the monitors and then left the room. Looking around, she noticed her backpack on the side table. If she couldn't see Marco then at least she could pass the time being productive. Rolling to her side, she reached for the backpack and opened it. Looking inside, there was her laptop, sketchbook and a leatherbound book. She didn't remember putting that there. She took it out. There was no title on it. Opening the book, she found a piece of paper that had Marco's handwriting on it.

Samantha, study hard. You will need this information soon. Marco.

She smiled at the fact that he left her school work despite her being in the medical quarters. There would most likely be a test when she was released. Putting away the piece of paper, she decided to do what the note said. Getting comfortable, she opened the book and started to read it. Samantha was surprised that Marco gave her such a book as this. It had fantastical stories of heroism and betrayal of the highest kind. Men of power and handsome gods. It was just mythology. Stopping on a page, her heart skipped a beat. It was a picture of a hammer with lightning coming out of it.

'Samantha,' came a familiar voice.

Her eye's snapped up to see Marco standing in the doorway. She was so focused on the book that she had not heard the door open. Closing the book, she smiled and gave a little wave. He smiled and walked over to sit down on the edge of her bed.

'How are you feeling?'

'Just tired really,' she shrugged.

'Are you sure?' He touched her forehead. 'You're burning up. Do you feel any different?'

'I feel fine,' she looked at him. 'Just tired.'

'Good,' he lowered his hand.

'Marco,' she looked down at the book on her lap. 'What's this about?'

He looked at her for a long time before standing up. He was acting weird all of a sudden. She had never seen him like this before. He slowly turned towards and was about to say something when the door opened. Both their heads turned to see a bald man in a suite walk into the room. She recognized the man as Agent Coulson, a man that Marco dealt with often. They nodded to one another and his attention suddenly shifted to her.

'Are you well enough to walk?' He asked her.

Nodding, she pushed aside the covers and stood up. Marco went to help her but she politely pushed him away. Taking a few hesitant steps, she stood tall and followed the two men. They were definitely at Headquarters. Leaving the medical quarters, they entered an area that she had never been before. It was top notch security. Following the men, they came to an open area where she saw a whole operation of people. Men in uniforms and white coats, soldiers at every entrance. She had never seen anything like this before. Then she saw it. The hammer. The glow it once had was gone but she could still hear the faint melody. Agent Coulson was suddenly at her side and brought her out of her thoughts.

'Miss Samantha,' he looked at her. 'Explain to me what that is.'

She looked at the man carefully before looking at Marco. He had this look on his face that made her very uncomfortable. Something was going on here and she had the feeling she was in the middle of it. Either way, she stepped closer to the hammer that was lying down on a huge block of some type of metal. She slowed down and listened to it. It was such a nice tune which she had a feeling no one else could hear. She put out her hand to touch it but Marco was there to stop her. He shook his head before letting her go.

'It's a hammer,' she looked right at Agent Coulson.

'Are you sure?' Her father eyed her down.

'Yes.'

'Then tell me,' Agent Coulson circled her. 'Why were you the only one who could lift it with ease?'

'I don't know what you mean?'

'It took four military grade helicopter to airlift that hammer in here, Miss Samantha… Explain that one to me.'

'Agent Coulson,' Marco stepped between them, standing to his full height.

'Agent Maxell,' he had a smug look on his face. 'I'm just trying to understand the situation.'

'There is nothing to understand here,' he said through clenched teeth.

'He's read the report, you know.'

The two men stared at each other. It was an odd scene to witness. Marco was a tall man and this Agent Coulson was not. The tension between them was unbearable. Finally turning away, Marco wrapped an arm around Samantha and guided her away. He was walking at such a fast pace that she also had to start jogging to keep up. Leaving the heavily watched area, they turned a corner and he spun around to look at her.

'Did you lie to Agent Coulson?' He whispered.

He looked at her with such an intense expression as she shook his head. He relaxed and rubbed his face with his hand. He was stressed. He only did that when he was stressed. She reached out, touched his arm and rubbed it a bit. His eyes softened as he gave a weak smile.

'Can you wait here?' He looked at his phone. 'I need to make a phone call.'

'Okay.'

He left her there and headed through a door. Samantha sighed as she leaned up against the wall. Whatever happened back there between the agents was intense. What was this all about anyways? She was definitely missing a piece to the puzzle. Turning her head, she noticed for the first time a man halfway down the hall. He was standing in front of the windows looking out at the area she was just in. He was dressed in civilian clothing which was odd. Everyone in the area seemed to be dressed accordingly. Keeping her eyes fixed on him, she walked closer. He then turned to look at her and he double took. He seemed shocked that she was looking at him. He quickly ignored her and continued to stared out the windows.

'What are you doing here?' She kept her distance him.

'Just admiring perfection,' he looked at her with big blue eyes. 'You can see me?'

'Yes?' Her eyes were fixed on him. 'Who are you?'

'No one of concern,' he looked up and down the hall. 'I'm just in search of something... But it seems I cannot have it.'

'Are you referring to the hammer?' She looked through the windows to see it.

'Please tell me,' he said in a low voice. 'How sweet is its song?'

'What did you say?' Her head shot up to look at him. 'Who are you?'

'Samantha,' Marco's voice came from behind.

She turned her head to see him looking at her with the most curious look. He held up her backpack and indicated that it was time to do. Grinning, she went to look back at the man but he was gone. Funny, she didn't hear he walk away. Looking up and down the hall one more time, she finally joined Marco and they headed towards the parking garage. Both climbed into the car and silently went home. As soon as they entered the house, Marco went right to the kitchen and put on the kettle. He picked up the phone and made a large order to the local take out restaurants which she was grateful for. She only then realized how hungry she was.

Samantha headed up to her room, took a shower and changed into clean clothes. It felt great to be in her own bed. Looking at the ceiling, she knew the food would not arrive for another twenty minutes. Her thoughts shifted from hunger to the mysterious man from Headquarters. Those blue eyes were burnt in her memory, such sadness. You can see me? What an odd thing to say to someone. Of course she could see him. Going into her backpack, she pulled out her sketchbook along with the leatherbound book.

Who was he?

Questions floated into her mind as she drew the man with as much detail as she could. She finished the picture and looked at it very carefully. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she swore she had seen this man before. But where? Marco called her to dinner. Ripping out the piece of paper, she grabbed the book and headed downstairs. Marco had already placed all the food out for them to eat. It looked great actually. He seemed rather content until he saw her place the book down on the table. He looked at it for a few moments before turning back to the food. Not expecting that reaction, she started to eat.

'Marco,' she said after several minutes of silence. 'Should we talk about what happened today? Or the other day at the crater?'

'I don't think that's a wise idea,' a frown appeared on his smooth face.

'Than can we talk about me?'

'No.'

'Can you tell me one thing at least?'

'Okay.'

'Did you see a man with black hair?'

'Where?' He continued to casually eat.

'I was talking to him before we left. At the windows. He was wearing a green coat-'

'There was no man there, Samantha.'

'You mean you didn't see a man who looked like this.'

She grabbed the book, opened it and handed him sketch that she had done before. He put down his fork and looked at her then the paper. A frown appeared on his brow as he took the paper in hand. His eyes suddenly snapped up to look her. He was mad at her and beyond anything she had seen before.

'You saw this man?' He put down the piece of paper.

'Yes, he was standing right in front of me. I don't know how you didn't see him.'

'If you see this man again, ignore him.'

'Why? Who is he?'

'He's of no concern to you,' he continued to each. 'Just forget everything you've seen the last twenty-four hours.'

'Even the fact that I could lift a million tonne hammer?'

'Samantha. Eat.'

She looked at him before she continued to eat. He was frustrated and she could tell from a mile away. He finished his dinner rather quickly, picked up the piece of paper and said goodnight. She watched him go and then looked down at her plate. She wasn't hungry all of a sudden. Cleaning up, she went upstairs to her room. Changing into her pajamas, she got into bed to get a good night's sleep. She tried to keep her mind blank of all thought but that was just impossible. The man kept coming back into her mind. Who was he really and did he have anything to do with what was happening?


	5. Chapter 4

_The sun was shining down on the world filled with gold and spectacle. A young woman with curly brown hair was walking through the city to go meet up with her sister who was currently receiving instruction from the high sorcerer. A smile crossed her face as she thought of her sister being so gifted in the art of magic for she was born with none. Walking through the halls of the citadel, she could hear the most beautiful songs, echoing all around her._

_Poking her head into one of the chamber, she saw her sister performing some magic. Quietly as possible, she walked in and watched with great interest. She was holding an odd looking item that had a certain radiance to it. Glowing items were floating all around and she figured her sister was the cause. Her lessons usually consisted of her floating items or changing them into other items. She was a little jealous but at the same time not. She liked the axe more than anything._

_Stepping into the light, she watched a bottle of ink slowly pass by her. Curiosity took the better of her and she touched the bottle hoping to push it away. It suddenly fell and the ink splattered all over the floor. It did not glow anymore. Putting her hand behind her back, she pretended that she had nothing to do with it suddenly falling. The high sorcerer had a curious look on his face and eased another floating ink bottle towards her._

_'Touch it again, my dear.'_

_Looking at him with wide blue eyes, she stepped closer and touched it. She didn't watch the ink bottle fall because she was looking right at her sister who was mirroring the same look of shock. The lesson suddenly ended and the two headed home as quickly as possible. They did not speak a word to one another about what happened. They didn't know what to say to each other actually._

_Then there was a sudden knock on their door. One of them opened the door to reveal four royal soldiers. They had been summoned for an audience at the palace. Looking at one another, they followed the men to a great chamber that they only been in once, a long time ago. At the end of the chamber was a man, a golden man that stood tall and watched them as they approached. His eye was locked on the young woman with her head down. The two stood in front of him, looking at him with large blue eyes. He pulled out a glowing orb and it seemed to have caught the attention of one._

_'I would like you to touch, my dear.'_

_The young woman looked at her sister who was standing a little ways away before slowly reaching forward. She placed her palm on the object and the glow faded away. Her blue eyes looked upon the golden man as he lowered his head. She looked over her shoulder to see her sister crying, pleading for something. The item in her hand disappeared along with everyone else. All she could see was the man dressed in gold and his one eye looking at her. He placed a strong hand on her shoulder and the only thing she could see what her world going black._

Samantha was suddenly jerked out of her sleep, tears rolling down her cheeks. Calming her breathing, she made her way to the bathroom where she threw up. Washing her face and brushing her teeth, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Turning away, she came back to her bed and sat down. There was a little light being casted by the moon outside. She got up and went to look out the window. There were looming clouds in the distance that didn't look to friendly. The door to her room crept open and she turned around to see Marco standing there. It looked like he hadn't slept at all. Had he been up the entire time?

'I thought I heard noise up here,' he opened the door fully. 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, just a bad dream,' she pushed back her hair.

'I'm sorry about before,' he leaned against the doorframe. 'It's complicating.'

'It's okay,' she looked at him. 'Are we going to be alright? Or are they going to wipe our brains?'

'Don't say stuff like that,' he mumbled under his breath. 'I need to speak you about something.'

'What what?'

'Something I should have told you from the beginning.'

He gestured for her to see down before leaving the room. She made herself comfortable and waited for his return. He came back into the room with an interesting looking box, the leatherbound book and what looked like scrolls. She curious looked at them as he sat down. He opened the box and inside was a little piece of stone on a necklace. With a smile on his face, he put it on her. Opening the scrolls next and handing them to her, she looked upon a script she did not understand. She looked at them with great interest but one was more interesting than the others. She looked at the art in admiration but the subject puzzled her. It was her dressed in attire from an ancient time. She looked at Marco with large eyes.

'This looks like me,' she showed him.

'That's because it is,' he gave a small smile. 'We are not from this world. From Earth.'

'I don't understand. Where are we from?'

Reaching for the leatherbound book, he opened up to a page that had a tree on it. It was gorgeous and each branch had something from it. One branch had Earth on it but he pointed to another, a golden looking one. She looked at him with both curiosity and skepticism. The other eight depictions didn't look like any planets in the known solar system. He was for sure pulling her leg.

'I taught you to be believe in real things, practical things,' he was now whispering.

'Science is the world of fact,' she smiled.

'Samantha,' he became very serious. 'I want you to believe is fantasy right now.'

'I don't understand.'

'This,' he held the book up. 'Believe this is real. This is real.'

'Does this have to do with the hammer?'

A large crash prevented Marco from answering her. Noise could be heard from downstairs. The man carefully stood up, head fixed on the door. Samantha screamed when the door burst open and people flooded into the small room. She recognized the soldiers as the ones from Headquarters and within the throng of men came Agent Coulson. He had that smug look on his face as he looked from Marco, to her to the items in their hands.

'Agent Maxwell!' He stepped into the room. 'You did the one thing you weren't supposed to do.'

'She has the right to know.'

'No, she does not, Agent Maxwell,' he smiled. 'Now let's clean this all up and move on.'

Agent Coulson nodded and one of the soldiers shot Marco. His body fell to the floor with a loud thump. Samantha looked upon the body and waited. Waited for him to get back up. He had to get back up. There was no way. He had to get back up. Tears flowed out of her eyes. He was not getting back up. She dropped everything and was going to go to him when two soldiers grabbed her arms. They escorted her out of the house and to Headquarters, the entire time crying Marco's name.

She did not remember the ride to Headquarters nor where they had put her inside it. It was all a blur. Next thing she knew, she found herself lying in a grey room, a grey prison cell it seemed. No one had come to visit her nor had she received any sign that they would. It didn't matter. All she could think about was Marco. It was not possible. He had to be alive. She wanted him alive. He understood her and now she was alone in this world. She burst into tears as she looked at the necklace he had given her.

'Why do you cry?' Came a voice.

Whipping her face, she sat to looked upon the man from the other day. He was still dressed in the same clothes. She looked at him and then at the door. Weird, she swore she hadn't heard the door open. How could he be in here without any guards or soldiers? Looking back at him, she met his gaze. Marco's words of warning echoed in her head. Whipping her cheeks again, she lied down with her back to him.

'That is no way to treat a visitor,' he voice was so soothing.

'Go away,' she said firmly.

'Why do you ignore me?'

'Because I was told to,' she sat up. 'Who are you?'

'There's a storm coming,' he changed the conversation, looking away.

'You're just like the people around here,' she sighed. 'Always keeping secrets.'

'But I won't keep secrets from you.'

She looked at him and only then did she notice the stone around his neck. It looked exactly like the one Marco had given her. Getting to her feet, she looked at him with wide eyes. He had one as well. She was about to approach him when the ground shook and the lights flickered. Supporting herself against the wall, she turned her head to see the man was gone. No. He couldn't have left. He couldn't have without her. Taking a chance, she opened the door to reveal an empty hall. The lights flickered again. What was going on?

No, that didn't matter at the moment. Samantha took in a deep breath and ran. Soon she found herself in more familiar halls and knew where to go from there. She was taking a chance. The biggest chance she had ever taken. Turning around a corner, the ground shook and lost balance. Hitting the wall, she fell down. Lights flickered in harmony with quakes. Opening her eyes, a crack under her hand appeared. It grew bigger with every shake. Getting back onto her feet, she ran to the one place she knew the man would be.

Low and behold, the man was standing with his hands in his pockets in the area where they were keeping the hammer. He was standing in front of it, staring. She looked around before walking forward. Why was there no one else here? The light flickered and died into the emergency lights. She quickly made her way towards him. His head turned toward her and seemed quite pleased that she was there.

'What do you know?' She breathed.

'Everything. Where you're from. What you are.'

'Where am I from?' She said slowly.

'I can show you,' he put out his hand. 'And much, much more.'

Samantha looked down at his hand. She didn't know why she was hesitating. For the past few days she's been wanting answers and now she could have them. If she only went with a man she did not know but somehow he knew about her. She was about to take his hand when the sound of a gunfire echoed. Samantha turned around to see Agent Coulson and a handful of soldiers, all of them sporting guns.

'Miss Samantha,' Agent Coulson said in a cool voice. 'It would be smart to come with us.'

'Take the hammer.'

The man was standing right behind her and had whispered into her ear. Keeping her face fixed forward, she eyed the hammer that was within reach. Looking back at Agent Coulson, her decision was made. Upon grabbing, she lifted it with ease. She looked forward to make eye contact with Agent Coulson who was shocked beyond belief. The man stepped beside her and she put out her hand. Instead of taking the hand which she expect, he pulled her into him with great force. She was about to protest such action when everything began to move around her. Great pressure vibrated around her as lights flashed. It was odd and she did not like it.

Suddenly the feeling was gone and Samantha stumbled back, gasping for air. What was all that about? All her senses were disorientated. Her body felt heavier and it was hard to breathe. She then noticed the ground was different. Slowly lifting her head, she looked upon a great, golden city. It was the city from the scrolls. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to look upon the man. She tried to smile but fainted instead.

Loki wasn't quite expecting this but caught her before she hit the ground. His eyes quickly looked around the room to see if anyone had seen them. It was clear. His turned his head back and his gaze fell to the hammer, Mjolnir. It was back where it belonged and he sighed with relief. He had done it. His plan had worked. Closing his eyes, they soon opened to look down at the woman in his arms. His hand went up to touch her cheek. She was beautiful. He then placed a hand on her forehead and she began to stir. Was she waking up? The pool of blue opened and looked around before landing upon him.

'How did I get down here?' She said in a soft voice.

'You fainted. You're not used to here but you should be fine now.'

'And where exactly is here?' She looked more focused.

'You're in Asgard,' he helped her stand.

'Asgard,' she looked at him with a serious look. 'Part of the nine realms?'

'Yes,' he couldn't help but smile. 'Are we having a history lesson?'

'No, sorry,' she looked out at the city. 'I'm just trying to get some things straight.'

'Well,' he stood a little taller. 'Soon we can remedy all that.'

'What happens now?'

'We must find my brother and return the hammer to him.'

'Okay,' she picked it up. 'You didn't tell me your name. What should I call you?'

'Loki,' he smirked. 'And you? What should I call the lovely lady?'

'Samantha.'

Holding the hammer with both hands, she followed Loki through the glorious halls. She didn't know how to feel about this place. She had only read about it in that leatherbound book thinking they were just fictional stories only knowing now that they were all real. Loki turned into a chamber and she quickly followed. It was a gorgeous chamber. She was too busy looking at all the detail that she did not see the four people there. They were sitting around a large fire pit, talking amongst themselves. Loki cleared his throat and all their heads turned to face him. Samantha's breath caught in her throat. The man with long blonde hair suddenly stood and looked in her direction. He stepped away from the couches and down the few steps toward her. The entire time, eyes never leaving the hammer. He slowly reached out and took it in hand. Turning to face the three others still waiting at the fire, he bellowed with joy and joined them.

'This is a wondrous day.' he looked at everyone. 'The celebrations shall last a week. Come, brother.'

Loki did not look at her before heading over. Standing alone away from everyone, Samantha watched them with great interest. What was Marco thinking? She was a practical thinker that would indulge in fantasy knowing it was just that, fantastical. How did he expect her to believe that the people before her were Thor god and thunder and Loki god of mischief. Seeing their attention was not on her anymore and she took this chance to slip away. Quickly exiting the room, she found herself outside and in the city streets.

It was such a busy place and a wonderful one at that. She couldn't help look at everything that came in sight. But soon she noticed that people were staring at her or double taking as she walked by. Looking around, the crowd of people had stopped. Her eyes widened when she saw herself looking right at her. Was this even possible? The other brunette was frozen as well. The two stared at each other until one of them started to walk forward. Samantha didn't know what to do. Tears were rolling down the woman's cheeks, she wrapped her arms around her.

'I thought I would never see you again.'


	6. Chapter 5

The brunette took Samantha's face in both her hands and took a good look at her. She couldn't stop smiling and laughing and even crying. Samantha was just overwhelmed with the situation. She felt like she should know this woman that looked like her but didn't. The woman then took her hand and they started to walk through the city to the more residential area. The entire time she couldn't stop talking. She touched every topic possible, life, what she had been doing and what had happened while she was gone. Samantha simply smiled and took in all the information. She was definitely a talkative one.

They suddenly stopped in front of a very beautiful house. It was her home. Walking inside, the woman headed to what looked like the kitchen area and started to prepare some food, all the while talking away. Samantha looked around. Should she know this place? Should she call this place home? Looking up, she saw the woman looking at with a concerned look.

'I'm sorry,' she stepped closer. 'I don't remember this world. I don't remember you.'

'Oh,' she put down a bowl and walked over.

'I'm so sorry. I just arrived here and saw you.'

'It's fine,' she seemed a little sad. 'I should not have assumed everything would go back to the way things were... I'm Carina. Your twin sister if you didn't notice.'

'I did,' she smiled. 'Where are our parents?'

'Well,' she looked awkward. 'They passed away when we were children. You really don't remember anything, do you Sanna?'

'Samantha. My name is Samantha,' she looked at her.

'Samantha,' she smiled at the name. 'I guess we have a little bit of catching up to do.'

Samantha was surprised to see she was in such great spirits about the situation. But she figure that she had been gone a while so being back was better than nothing at all. As Carina made dinner, she spoke about their childhood, she would go training in the courtyard while she practiced magic. They shared the love of art which was good to hear. The food was eaten and the two women went into their chamber. Getting ready for the night, Samantha lied down on the large, comfy bed.

'So...' Carina wrapped herself in a robe and climbed into bed. 'Where have you been all this time?'

'I've been living on Earth. Educating myself and keeping myself fit. There's no magic there.'

'You speak in a strange way,' she cut her off. 'Does all of Midgard speak in this manner?'

'I don't know,' she shrugged. 'Midgard?'

'Earth,' she looked at her with a different expression. 'How did you get here if there's no magic?'

'A man named Loki brought me here.'

'Loki is not just a man. He's a prince,' she smiled. 'What's he like?'

'He was nice. Calm. Strong… Do you like him?'

'I think every girl has fancied the princes at one point of another,' she blushed and then frowned. 'It doesn't matter anyways. They would never look twice at me.'

'Why do you say that?'

'Well, their princes and I'm just a commoner.'

The conversation ended there and they said their goodnights. Her sister rolled over and instantly fell asleep. Samantha stared at the figure lying next to her before lying on her back. They were just commoners and she had received help from a prince. It was an odd notion to come to terms with but if she was going to live in this world she would have to. It was kind of crazy really. Just last week she was an ordinary young woman and now she was resident of a fantastical world. Lying on her side, she closed her eyes and dreamed of Marco.

Thor threw down his glass. He was in a wondrous mood and he made sure everyone knew about it. His friends sat around as he had another drink. It was indeed time to celebrate. One of the most powerful weapons was now back in Asgard where it belonged. But it was not its wielder who had done so. The Warriors Three and the Lady Sif looked at their blonde friend. His celebrations could go on for days if someone didn't stop him. Loki stood up and stepped behind the couch.

'Brother, you must stop this,' he looked around.

'Why do you want to stop my celebrations? I have Mjolnir and all is well.'

'It's what you intend to do with it that concerns me. Do you still intent to battle with Jotunheim?'

'Loki,' his face went dark. 'Do you not see the fault in the Jotuns actions? There could be more of them coming to kill us in our sleep. I will not let this happen again. It was they who made the first move and I will make the last.'

'Father said-'

'I am to be the next king,' he threw down his full drink. 'These are the actions I'm going to take to insure that the peace is kept in all the Nine Realms.'

'I agree with Loki on this one,' Fandral said. 'Maybe war is not the way to keep the peace.'

'We should wait awhile maybe,' Volstagg mumbled through a full mouth. 'See if they attack again. Maybe it was just a one time fling.'

'That's an excellent idea,' Thor smiled. 'We can celebrate some more then march to Jotunheim in three days.'

'That's not exactly what I meant,' Volstagg looked down in defeat.

Everyone looked at the red haired man with daggers in this gaze. He had good intentions but not the right one to say to the young, arrogant Prince of Asgard. Neither of his friends or brother could argue with the Prince as he started to plan a great feast to be held in the palace. Thor's mind was set and there was no changing that. As long as they delayed the unwise actions of their good friend everything was well among them. Thor turned to his brother and gestured for him to follow as they left the chamber. The younger followed in his footsteps until they were alone.

'I don't think anything could dampen my mood at the moment,' Thor walked with pride and a smile was plastered on his face.

'It seems you're the only one to express that,' he said under his breath.

'What is it that you said, Loki?'

'It is good to see you in such a good mood compared to the days of late.'

'I must thank for that, brother,' he turned to him and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. 'If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in such a wonderful mood.'

'It's my pleasure,' he bowed slightly. 'You are my dear brother after all. I would do anything for you.'

'Pray tell me then,' he gave him a look he knew quite well. 'Who was the lovely woman holding Mjolnir?'

'I found her on Midgard, in possession of the hammer,' they continued to walk. 'If it weren't for her, I couldn't have brought it back for you.'

'Midgard?' Thor stopped for a moment to think. 'A mortal? I do not understand.'

'She is actually a commoner from this realm. It's a long story, brother.'

'A commoner...' He was thinking really hard. 'You must invite her to the celebrations tomorrow. It's been too long since Asgard has seen some happy times.'

'But she's a commoner. You know-'

'Loki, she's a very beautiful commoner.'

With a smile and a pat on the back, Thor left his brother. Loki glared at his sibling. He was hoping to avoid this. He didn't want too much attention drawn to her but it seemed he couldn't prevent it. No one could deny the future king his celebrations. Straightening up, Loki turned in the opposite direction and enthralled himself in thought. The celebrations would be short if he had anything to do with it. Only his brother would throw a banquet and then march into battle. He had a lot to learn but he could not love him less. They were brothers after all.

Samantha shifted in bed and pulled the covers over her face. She really didn't want to wake up from the wonderful dream she was having. Getting into a comfortable position, she bumped into something, no, someone. Sitting up, she turned to see another body in bed with her. Then she noticed that this wasn't her bed or her room. Right, she was no longer on Earth. Slipping out of the sheets to make sure her sister didn't wake, she went in search of food.

The house was a simple one, good enough for one woman of course. It laid out all on one floor. The bed chamber being in the back of the house lead to the living area which was attached to the kitchen. It was all open and very high ceilings. Grabbing a bowl of fruit, she lied down on one of the couches and slowly ate. It was only yesterday she was eating take out with Marco in her own kitchen. This was going to be an adjustment. Hearing rustling, she turned around to see Carina walk in holding another bowl of fruit,

'I hope I didn't wake you up,' Samantha sat up. 'I'm used to waking up early.'

'You were no bother to me. I usually harvest in the morning if the weather is nice. Did you sleep well?'

'Yes, thank you.'

'Samantha,' she stopped what she was doing. 'I thought I would never see you again. You've grown so much… I'm happy.'

'It's weird to be here but good at the same time,' she smiled and then it disappeared. 'Can I ask you something?'

'What's on your mind?'

'Do you remember why I left?'

'No,' she looked down. 'I was never told the real reason… Just that you couldn't stay here anymore.'

Samantha eyed her sister from where she sat and she returned with a blank look. She thought it weird that her sister was not told why she suddenly had to be whisked away forever. There was definitely something going on here and her curiosity was growing fast. Maybe twin were forbidden in this world and she had to go. Or maybe she was banished for something she did. Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the front door. Samantha quickly stood and went to open it. There stood a messenger holding a letter. He smiled a very professional smile and bowed.

'For the lady of the house.'

'Thank you.'

She took the letter and he wished her a good day. Turning around, she held up the wax sealed letter to her. With an eager expression on her face, she put everything down and walked over. She took the letter and looked at the seal. Her eyes widened and she ripped it open. Reading it quickly, a smile appeared on her face and it looked like Christmas had come early.

'It's an invitation to the palace,' she looked so happy. 'There's going to be a banquet tonight.'

'A banquet?' Samantha read the letter. 'Apparently, we are specially invited.'

'This is so wonderful. I've never been to the palace before. I have the most perfect outfit!'

Samantha's were pushed to the back of her mind as soon as her sister took her hands in hers. Getting ready for the banquet was going to be an entire day event. First, it was the bath, putting on the right scent and making sure the skin was smooth. Then choosing the right color outfit to match the eyes and then fit it to make sure it was flattering enough. Then it was the hair. They both had long curly hair so putting it up was out of the question. Flowers and pins found there way in there. It was all over and Carina looked pretty pleased with herself.

'Oh what are they going to say when they see us together? We are going to be the most gorgeous girls there,' her sister smiled.

Samantha looked in the mirror and saw their reflections. This was going to be her life. A life of a commoner. She could garden, paint and not have to worry about anything. Her sister would make her worry about banquets and handsome princes though. She locked eyes with her sister and returned with a explosion of joy. They were really different considering they were supposed to be related. Her sister was bubbly and very social where she was quiet and kept to herself. Was she going to fit in here at all?


	7. Chapter 6

The banquet hall was already filling up with people. They were in deep conversation and some were already heading to the glorious buffet that was set up. The Odin King was sitting on his throne. Should he indulge in such a festivity? His son did return and with the dangerous relic. His eye looked upon his first-born. He was gloating with his friends and trying to impress the ladies, as usual. The festivities would end and then what? More plans of battle and revenge. When will he learn? Who will teach him the greatest lesson of them all?

A gentle hand touched his and he turned to look at this beautiful wife. He could indulge for a little while for the sake of show. He stood to mingle among the people and saw his other son. Loki was not too far but he seemed distracted. His head fixed towards the main entrance of the hall, he was ignoring the company around him. Odin looked in the direction his son was looking in. Many he knew and a few he recognized as people of the court. His eyes stopped upon a couple of young ladies he could not believe were together. How was this possible? How did she return to this world? Something had to be done but not tonight for his firstborn was heading towards them.

'I'm a little nervous,' Samantha looked down at the floor.

'You shouldn't be,' Carina turned around and smiled. 'This is going to be the best evening of our lives.'

'Really?' She pulled a face. 'What if I don't fit in? What if I don't have anything to talk about?'

'Samantha,' she grabbed both her shoulders. 'I'm going to be right by your side.'

'But what if-'

'What has Midgard done to you?' She placed her hands on her hips. 'What happened to the fearless girl I used to know?'

Samantha looked up and regarded her sister. She had never been described as fearless before. Not even Marco. Her twin took her hand and they walked into the hall. She held her breath until a waiter handed her a drink. She instantly down it. Wow, that tasted really good. What was it? Another waiter came by and gave her a new one. She managed to smile and took time to look around the room. Everyone was dressed so amazingly and they seemed so natural. Eyes scanning the room, they feel upon a man who was staring right back at her. His one eye burning into her.

'Are you feeling alright?' She said at the side of her mouth. 'Do you need to step outside?'

'No, it's fine.'

'Good because the prince is heading right this way.'

Her eyes shot up with excitement until they meet the blue gaze of the next King of Asgard. He was dressed in different, more majestic attire. His face glowed with a smile of a man who's had a few drinks in him. Carina was smiling the most perfect smile and she was subtly fixing her posture to be alluring. This was her moment. Samantha could guess that she had been dreaming of this moment since she was a little girl. Her pure happiness died when he walked right up to the girl standing next to her, took her hand and kissed it. Sadness filled her face and she quickly disappeared into the throng of people. Samantha felt terrible but was quickly distracted.

'I thank you for returning Mjolnir to me,' he said in a soft voice.

'You're welcome,' she managed to say.

'I'm Thor Odinson,' he smiled. 'May I ask for your name?'

'Samantha.'

'Lady Samantha,' he smiled and stared at her. 'You look gorgeous tonight.'

'Thank you,' she blushed a little.

'If you care to entertain me,' he was still looking at her. 'Please stay by my side for the evening.'

He flashed her another handsome smile and she smiled back, politely. He was handsome to be sure but she had to keep her guard up. If anything that Marco had taught her was right, men always had motives. But maybe gods had different motives. Her thoughts were quickly shifted what was happening before her. Everyone wanted to talk to Thor and all he wanted to do was talk about his tales of valor. Samantha looked at him in a different light and reached for another drink. He was certainly self centered. Nothing like the man she had read about. They finally sat down and he continued to tell stories. She sat quietly, tasting the food that was being served. The drink was taking a toll on her. A man with the large red beard looked at her and smiled.

'My Lady,' he called over to her. 'You stay quiet this evening. Pray, tell me about yourself or at least your name.'

'I have a feeling that I've seen you before but I'm not sure,' the lady in front of her smiled. 'You must be an enchantress or perhaps you are a warrior.'

'Me...' she looked down at the table. 'I'm a scholar... but in my spare time I do some combat training.'

'Do you wield a mighty weapon to slay your enemies with?' Thor turned his head to look at her.

'I'm better without weapons actually...' She looked at their faces.

Her sentence trailed off when she saw the peculiar looks the people were giving her. Did they think her crazy? The one called Fandral burst into laughter and turned to the man sitting next to him and recalled a battle they had once fought without weapons. It did not end well but a funny story nonetheless. The conversation continued as the attention was diverted elsewhere, to more stories of course. Samantha put down her cloth napkin and silently excused herself from the table. Thor did not look twice as she headed towards the outdoors. The cool air of the balcony calmed her and cleared her mind. Taking in a deep breath, she looked at the skies. They were so amazing and seemed unreal.

Loki was not amused by the banquet. Everyone in the court was there along with a few extra invitees. One of them was of great interest to him but at the moment her attention was towards his brother, Thor. The moment she walked into the chamber hall, he was at her side. Loki couldn't believe he had ignored her sibling who was now at the attention of some very handsome courtsmen. He would think that two beautiful woman would be better than one but he underestimated him. His cold blue eyes watched from a distance at the woman. She looked bored and unconcern of herself. She clearly was not interested in Thor and his tales. How interesting? He perked up when she stood up and headed outside. This would be his only chance to speak to her and be alone with her. He stepped outside and saw her, looking up at the stars.

'Milady,' Loki walked towards her. 'I saw you leave. Are you feeling alright?'

'Loki,' she slowly turned towards and curtsied. 'Or should I say, my prince.'

'You do not have to hold formalities when we are alone,' he smiled at the corner of his mouth and came closer. 'Is something bothering you?'

'No… It was just getting a little hot in there,' she half smiled. 'I would like to thank you… For bringing me here. You really didn't have to.'

'It was my pleasure,' he bowed ever so slightly.

'It's weird,' she smiled. 'One day I thought this was all fantasy and the next it's reality.'

'Give it time.'

'I guess,' she eyed the necklace he was wearing. The same as hers. 'Where did you get this?'

'It was given to me. By someone I hold close to my heart.'

'Mine too,' her hand went up to touch it. 'Why did you do it?'

'Why did I what?' He was even closer to her.

'Why did you bring me here? How did you know I was from here?'

Her blue eyes looked up to meet his. Her eyes had not charged since last he looked into them, full of interest and curiosity. She was no longer a small child but a grown woman. A woman with power that she would never understand. He would have to do something about that. She was useless in this state, in this mortal mindset. He saw her face tint a little. Was it the drink or the fact that he was staring at her? He was about to reach out and touch her when she looked away from him. Turning around, Thor was standing just a little ways away with a smile on his face and a look in his eyes. Oh no. He tried not to show his emotions. His brother had something on his mind. Did he want to know what it was? No, because it could only be one thing at a time like this. Did he want to know if it involved her? Yes.

'Lady Samantha,' he walked over and took her hand. 'Why did you leave? My story was just reaching its climax.'

'I need some time to myself,' she looked down.

'I hope my brother is not bothering you then.'

'He is rather good and refreshing company,' she looked at him and smiled.

'That is strange to hear about my brother,' he laughed. 'Now, it has been bother me since you've mentioned it. How does this battle with no weapons work? You must show me how it's done.'

'It's nothing,' she tried to protest. 'Forget I mentioned it.'

'I must know how it's done!' He raised his voice a little.

'Brother, she doesn't-'

'Loki,' the blonde cut him off. 'I think you've had her long enough. Lady Samantha?'

Samantha inhaled and forced a smile that did not reach her eyes as he put out his arm for her to take. There was no point in arguing. Once Thor had made up his mind, no one could change it. He watched her hesitate for a moment before taking his arm. Curtsying to him, they turned away and walked past the chamber hall to an unknown destination. This was going to be harder than he thought. He needed to be alone with her, to train her. He needed her to be more powerful. Looking up, he saw his father had stepped onto the balcony.

It was like meeting a celebrity who turned out to be nothing like what they portrayed for the cameras. It was even a worse experience because Samantha could not run away or go home. They had walked away from the banquet hall towards the back of the palace. The whole time, Thor boasted about his victories in battle and the many places he had been. He seemed to never get bored of talking about himself. He was clearly used to it.

They came to a small orchard of vibrant green trees with what looked like apples hanging on the branches. She let go of his arm and walked over to get a closer look. Were they actually apples or something else that looked like apples? No, they were apples. She was about to take one of them when Thor took her hand in his. Turning around, he pulled her toward him. She realised instantly what was happening and didn't want it to happen.

'Where are we?' She slipped away from him and watched his expression turn from happy to confused. 'What's this place called?'

'Uh,' he looked down at his hand with an ever deepening frown. 'This is the Royal Orchard. It's like none other in Asgard.'

'Why? Is it special or something?' She stepped back as he stepped closer.

'Wait until the sun goes down.'

Thor watched the young maiden look towards the tree. Her hand slowly reached up and touched the bark. It seemed she was trying to avoid him. How interesting. As of yet, the woman before him had been the hardest woman to woe. Some he would have after smiling at them and most he had after telling a few tales. This one he did both and yet she was still interested in other things but him. Who was she? He smiled to himself. Was he ever the type of person to give up so easily? No. He stepped closer and pinned her against the tree she had oh so been interested in. She looked up at him with her large blue eyes. She was gorgeous for a commoner.

He leaned in to steal a kiss and soon found himself locking lips with the tree. Spinning around, he looked upon the brunnette and his sudden anger had disappeared. She slowly walked towards the now glowing apples. Touching one lightly with her fingertips, she turned around to look at him. She truly was amazed by them. Her eyes were full of joy and her smile… He had not seen her smile like that all evening. Thor smirked. Never had he met such a woman like this before, more fascinated by glowing fruit than of him. From that moment on, Thor was determined to pursue this woman. He was going to have her if it took his entire being.

For the following few days, Thor had insisted upon spending time with her. He even showed up at her house much to her sister's amazement and disappointment. They would spend the entire day together. He showed her around the city and introduced her to everyone he knew. The more he spent time with her, the more he became intrigued with her. Plus the fact that she did not react in the same way other women would. She smiled at him now and then but not the same smile he had seen on the orchard.

'I enjoyed your company today, Lady Samantha,' he kissed her hand.

'You are good company,' she smiled.

'I wish to see you again,' he stepped closer.

'Thor,' she pushed him back. 'I have a family that needs my help. I will see you soon.'

'Til next we meet.'

The sun was creeping into the chamber while Samantha lied in bed, looking at nothing in particular. She had woken up alone, again. It had been a few days now and her sister had been giving her the cold shoulder, as cold as it could get. Reflecting, she knew exactly why she was mad with her but why couldn't they just talk about it. Sighing, Samantha got out of bed. An apology was in order and maybe an explanation was a must. She could not live like this anymore. It was getting lonely at night. Her sister was in the garden, harvesting some nuts from the ground. She approached and began to help but was not acknowledged.

'Carina,' she stood. 'Are we going to ignore each other forever?'

'I don't know. Are we?'

'Carina… I'm sorry. I didn't know Thor would act this way.'

'I didn't know you would act this way,' she stopped and looked at her. 'You been off with him everyday now since the banquet.'

'You have to understand,' she raised her voice a bit. 'What am I supposed to do? Say no? I don't enjoy myself at all but yet he keeps coming back.'

'You don't enjoy yourself?' She stopped harvesting. 'You don't like him?'

'Carina,' Samantha relaxed. She knew what this was about. 'Nothings happened between us. I'm not at all interested in him. He's not my kind of guy.'

'Oh?' Her expression softened and she stood. 'You didn't kiss him.'

'No, definitely not.'

'Well,' she tried to hide a smile. 'I feel rather silly at the moment. I thought you two were a couple. He seems really interested in you.'

'Maybe next time you can pretend to be me and have fun with him.'

'I quite like that idea,' she handed her the bow. 'I must go now. I have training with the high sorcerer today. Do you mind completing the harvest without me?'

'Oh, no, I don't mind. It will keep me busy… You mean magic training?'

'Yes, I still have much to learn. I'll see you after sundown.'

Samantha watched her sister leave. The air had been cleared between them and she felt much better. A few moments passed before she bent down to continue the harvest. She would be lying if she said she didn't want to go with her sister. She was curious to the whole matter since magic didn't exist on Earth. Also, she wanted answers. Maybe her experience with the hammer could be explained. Maybe it had something to do with magic. Getting lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the approaching figure.

'Lady Samantha?' Her head spun around to see Loki.

'Loki,' she stood with a smile on her face. 'Aren't you a little ways away from home?'

'Yes,' he smirked. 'Our time together at the banquet was cut short. I wanted to see you… And how you were doing.'

'That's kind of you,' she breathed. 'I'm just helping with the harvest. You know, keeping busy and helpful.'

'Your sister is not home?' He stepped closer to see what was in the bowl.

'She's gone to see the high sorcerer for the day. For her training,' she looked down.

'And you are here, alone, picking nuts.'

'Yes,' she started to play with them.

'Lady Samantha,' he put his hand over hers to stop her. 'Come with me. I have so much to show you.'

'Like what?'


	8. Chapter 7

Her eyes brightened when she looked up to meet his gaze. He smiled and put out his arm for her to take. Putting down the bowl, she took his arm. He lead her to the rather empty palace. The sun was shining down on the glorious decor. She nervously looked around and hoped with all her being that she would not see the blonde prince. She really wanted to see what Loki wanted to show her. They continued to walk until they reached some stairs. She hesitated for a moment. Music. She could hear various songs coming from down the stairs. Looking at Loki, he nodded and he escorted her down the stairs.

The songs became more distinct and louder. They stepped into a chamber with relics resting of pedestals. Samantha held her breath. Every object was singing its own song and they glowed with different colors, each unique. Letting go of Loki's arm, she walked towards the closest one. Why were they glowing and singing? She had an odd feeling that this was normal around here. Looking at the others, each was more interesting than the next. Stepping towards another, she reached out to touch it but Loki was there to stop her. She looked at him with the most curious look.

'Would it hurt again if I touched it?' She said in a soft voice. 'Like it did with Mjolnir.'

'That depends. Mjolnir happens to be quite powerful,' he let her go. 'You're also untrained... But with time and practice you will get better.'

'Get better at what?' Her attention was fully on him.

'When you touch an enchanted item, you drain it of its power. Its magic is then within you to do what you will with it.'

'So I still have Mjolnir's power?' She smile.

'Unfortunately not,' he smirked. 'You seemed to have unwillingly returned it.'

'That's a shame,' she made a face. 'Is that why they glow?'

'I've read that the glow is the lifeforce of the relic. It's magic,' he focused on her.

'You don't see it then?'

'No,' he smiled. 'That is why you are so special. You can see relics for what they are.'

'And the singing?'

'That I cannot explain,' he looked down. 'I guess some things can't be explained.'

'I guess,' she sounded distant, looking down at the relic.

'I wish I could see what you see. Hear what you hear,' he moved a little closer to her.

Samantha turned around to meet his gaze. His large blue eyes looked down at her with kindness. She quickly realized how close they were and her face began to burn. He was definitely different from his egotistical brother. Loki was calm, collected and a man a few words. He seemed to think of others before himself as well. He wanted to help and he had helped her without question. He was great company and she was beginning to like him. She looked away with some color on her cheek but her took her chin to turn her face to his.

'Lady Samantha?' Thor's voice broke the silence and their moment.

'Thor,' she took a step back and composed herself.

'What are you doing in a place like this?' He walked up to them.

'Loki was showing me the great collection of relics.'

'Seems rather tiresome,' he eyed his brother with a laugh.

'We were actually having a wonderful time until you come along, brother,' Loki became quite cold.

'Nonsense,' he took her hand. 'Lady Samantha, you must join me in the training yard.'

'Why?'

'I must see this fighting with no weapons you speak of.'

Samantha felt awkward and out of place in the training courtyard. Everyone was dressed accordingly and she was still in a common dress. Thor had the courtesy of introducing her to the Warriors Three and Lady Sif who were already training. Thor quickly joined them and they trained for some time. Well, it was more like Thor was beating down everyone. Without disturbing them, she sat down on a wooden box and watched them. She had never seen others train before. It had always been her and Marco. She lowered her head and touched the stone he had given her. She missed him. She missed Earth.

'Are you alright?' Loki was at her side. 'You look sad.'

'It's nothing,' she straightened.

'Enough of this child's play,' Thor announced. 'I must see this fighting with no weapon. Lady Samantha?'

'I really don't want to,' she looked at the blonde.

'You cannot deny the future king.'

She wanted to find a way out of this. She didn't want to fight Thor. He was definitely powerful and she wasn't sure she would be fast enough to dodge his attacks or use his attacks against them. Ignoring everything around her, she reflected on everything Marco had taught her. If she was going to do this than she was going to make him proud. Thor stood a little ways away, hammer in hand. He had a cocky expression on his face. She was determined to make him proud. She had to knock him down a peg. Taking in a deep breath, she spread her weight and waited for him to make the first move. With a smile on his face, he came forward and swung at her. Bracing herself, she spun and disappeared. He looked down where she had just stood and within that moment she knocked him down. Gasps came from the people watching. A look of shock was on her face when he turned to look at her.

'What is this trickery?' He stood. 'Are you an enchantress?'

She couldn't help but smile. How could she not? Knocking down a man three times her size was an achievement. There was no time in boasting though because he was coming at her again, charging. Right before he swung, she ducked down and slipped under his arm and kicked him down again. Well, she quickly realized she shouldn't have done that so soon. He was mad now. With wide eyes, she dodged every attack but it was becoming harder and harder. Thor swung for the finale time. The blow knocked her into the air and quite a distance away. The wind was completely taken out of her. He was about to step back into another attack but his brother stopped him.

'Stop it, brother,' Loki said through clenched teeth. 'Don't you see what you've done?'

He pushed away his hair to see Samantha. She was lying motionless on the ground next to a cracked wall. Everyone rushed to her side to make sure she was alright. She managed to open her eyes but she could not move. There was no blood but something could be broken inside her. Loki insisted on him being the one to bring her to the healing chamber. Thos watched as his brother hurried away with the limb body. His remaining friends turned to look at him. There were no words to be expressed between them. There looks of disappointment were enough to cut deep.

Samantha was conscious by the time she was placed on the healers bed. He looked at her with great interest after hearing the situation. She was going to be alright though, nothing was broken but bruising was definite. What the healer was saying didn't matter because her attention was focused on Loki. He had been pacing the entire time and seemed worried about her. Why was he so worried? It was just some fun playing between friends. The healer placed some ointment on her and he left. Loki was at her side and cupped her face with his hand.

'Are you alright?'

'I'll survive,' she sat up with great effort.

'My brother can be so brutish sometimes. He could have killed you.'

'Loki,' she took his hand. 'You don't have to apologize for him. I'm fine.'

'What if you weren't?'

'Well, then he would have to live with the shame and regret.'

His eyes were looking at her with great intensity. There was something more in them. It seemed like he cared about her but she knew it was beyond caring. An emotion more intense than that. He helped her up and she made sure everything was functional. He was reached out and touched her jaw line. His hands were oddly cold. She turned her head away at the sound of people entering the room. Her heart stopped when she looked into the green eyes of Marco. He wasn't dressed in his agent suite but attire of Asgard. He smiled and she burst into tears. Running towards him, she hugged him with all her strength.

'I thought you were dead,' she said between sobs. 'I can't believe you're here.'

'I could never leave you,' he kissed her head. 'I'm just glad you made it here.'

'Max...'

'His name is Magnus,' Odin voice boomed as he walked into the chamber. 'Master at arms here in the palace. Your guardian.'

'All-Father,' Max let her go to bow.

'Loki,' he noticed his son. 'If you were excuse us, I must speak to Lady Samantha and Magnus alone.'

'Yes, father,' he bowed and quickly left the healing chamber.

'Lady Samantha,' Odin turned around to face them. 'You've been here for a few days now and it's like you've never left.'

'Asgard is my home, isn't it?' She looked at Max for reassurance.

'Yes… And yet it troubles me to see you here,' he looked from her to Max.

'You are not happy to see me here?' She looked down.

'You misunderstand.'

'Why was I on Earth if I'm Asgardian?' Her eyes roze to meet his. 'And why don't I remember anything from this world?'

'It was the safest place in the nine realms,' his expression softened.

'I took you there,' Max placed a hand on her shoulder. 'It was my mission to keep you hidden and ignorant in the mortal world… But I failed.'

'No, Magnus. You did as you were told. It was I who failed,' he stepped away for a moment. 'It seems that fate cannot be avoided.'

'All-Father?' Max looked at him with concern.

'Samantha and Carina have great power within them,' he turned around and began. 'When you were to mature, you would have serve under me as the guardian of all the relics and your sister a high sorceress.'

'Great power?' She looked up with a curious look.

'You have the ability to take away the magic from any relic and use that magic yourself,' he sighed and continued. 'And with that power you would become my greatest weakness. I had to make sure you would never return. I had to ensure the safety of this kingdom and for that you had to lose everything.'

'I don't understand,' she frowned at him. 'I lost everything but yet I'm standing here.'

'Samantha,' Max warned her.

'No,' she pushed him away. 'I could have kept this secret and still lived normal on Earth. You don't understand what it feels like to have all this thrown at you.'

'You are right,' Odin whispered. 'I should not have done what I did. I was selfish.'

The All-Father looked at her. A smile crept on his face as his eyes softened. She had grown so much since he had given her to the man standing before him to start a new life on Midgard. He thought it would be wise for her to be mortal and to think she was mortal. But maybe that was his greatest mistake. He thought he was preventing his fate but yet here she was, standing in front of him. Was there another who know? He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

'You're the guardian,' he looked at her. 'You must learn and understand who you are… But not here.'

'I can't stay?'

'Unfortunately, the safest place to be is Earth,' he turned his head to look outside the chamber. 'Keep yourself hidden and safe. Magnus, you will help her in her trainings.'

'Yes, All-Father,' he bowed.

Max was at her side as two guards entered the room. She looked over her shoulder at the Odin King who seemed to be in deep thought. How was she going to tell Carina that she was leaving? She didn't want to break her heart again. Looking out upon the city as they walked towards an unknown destination, Samantha felt rather relieved. All her questions were answered. She knew who she was and now she had someone that would guide her to greatness that she had to obtain. But could she return to Earth and be normal again?

Thor sat in his chambers with his head in his hands. The events of the day hadn't gone the way he wanted it to happen. He was just curious and wanted to see how Lady Samantha fought in such a way. He did not understand how she could move so fast and knock him down so easily. Yes, he became frustrated and regretted his actions. How could he attack her so easily and with so much hate? How could he hurt her without a second though? He had to gain her forgiveness and trust again. The door opened and Loki rushed into the room. The blonde didn't want company at a time like this but the expression on his brother's face made him stand at attention.

'Thor,' there was panic in his voice. 'The Frost Giants. They have Lady Samantha.'

'How do you know this to be true?'

'Her sister was caught in the crossfire. She barely got to the palace alive.'

'Have you told anyone else? Father?'

'No, just our friends.'

'Good,' he was now dressed. 'Tell them to dressed warmly.'

Thor, the Warriors Three, Lady Sif and Loki looked upon the frozen world, barren of all life and movement. Thor did not hesitate to march forward. He came here for a reason and the faster he got it done the better. His friends on the other hand did not want to be there but they could not deny him support. Moving forward through the hollowing wind, they kept watch for any unexpected attacks that may spring upon them. The thought of this rescue mission being a trap had crossed all their minds. Entering what used to be the glorious throne room, they were greeted by the frost giant king who was standing over them on the landing.

'You're a little far away from home, young prince,' he voice boomed. 'You will only find your doom within these borders.'

'We have come to reclaim what you've taken from us,' Thor bellowed to him.

'I don't know what you speak of,' he sneered.

'You took Lady Samantha from our realm. I want her back.'

'Is she of interest to the young prince?' He chuckled.

'We do not see trouble, Laufey,' Loki stepped in. 'Return the girl and we will leave in peace as if this never happened.'

'It won't be that easy. She is of great value to me.'

'You will return her!'

Thor was beyond reasoning and everyone around him knew it. Charging forward, the battle begun. Frost giants appeared out of no where and kept appearing. One after another, Thor knocked down his enemies with great pleasure and ease. His friends on the other hand were having more trouble than expected. The blonde crushed another frost giant and looked up to see their king retreeting. Focusing on him, he fled the scene in search of him. Arriving onto the landing, he saw Laufey standing rather tall while Lady Samantha struggle in his grasp. She was silence by a cloth and bound by ropes. Tears drenched her cheeks and horror painted her face. Thor moved forward but stopped for the frost giant and stepped towards the cracked wall that outlooked a deep cliff.

'I wouldn't be so quick for victory, boy.'

'Then you must enjoy seeing your men fall,' he yelled. 'Give her back and I will spare the rest of your pathetic army.'

'You make threats that cannot be done.'

'Give her to me now.'

'You must make a decision, young prince,' he smiled. 'Which is more important to you, the girl or your friends?'

Thor quickly moved to the edge of the landing to see the battle below. Frost giants and frozen creatures were overpowering the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. They were definitely losing the battle and were at high risk of losing their lives as well. He turned back around. Lady Samantha was being pushed closer and closer to the eshe. Tears poured out of her eyes as her cries were being muffled by the cloth. None would losing their lives if he had anything to do with it. Thor attacked Laufey before he could do anything. He smashed him down and continued to smash him.

'Wrong decision,' Laufey chuckled.

Spinning around, another frost giant had gotten hold of Lady Samantha and eagerly threw her off the cliff. He cried out in anguish as jumped forward to end the frost giants life. He looked over the edge to see Lady Samantha fall into the blackness below, her eyes full of terror. Turning around, he saw his friends on the brink of destruction. How could he have let this happen? First Lady Samantha and now his friends. What was a simple rescue mission now was a blood bath. With the looked of utter rage on his face, he flew to aid his friends. Upon arriving at their sides, a light shone down on them. The king of all kings sat upon his stallion. The frost giants were blinded and stepped back. Odin looked upon Laufey as he approached, clearly wounded.

'What has happened here?' He bellowed.

'Your son came seeking trouble and that is what I gave him.'

'Enough of this! You're walking on thin ice, Laufey. I do not wish to break the peace between us.'

'The peace was broken long ago, All-Father. I've just been seeking a way to bring you down.'

'You will never get your hands on such a thing,' he raised his spear. 'Seek no more if you wish to live.'

They returned to the Bifrost and the wounded were rushed to the healing chamber. Odin spun around to silence is babbling first born. It was clear that Thor had gone to Jotunheim with the intentions of rescue but it quickly escalating to a massacre, on both sides. His bloodlust had caused so much pain and suffering beyond his understanding. That was the problem. He would never understand the consequences of his actions here. He had much to learn. Thor looked at him with disbelief in his eyes as he stripped him of his right and power. Grabbing Mjolnir, he pushed him into the Bifrost.

'I would advise you not to go searching for your brother,' he turned to Loki.

'Father-'

'I will have nothing from you. Thor will return when he is ready until then I must mend what he has destroyed.'

Coming through the Bifrost on the other side, Thor stood in cool darkness. Head hung off his shoulders, he played the scene again and again in his mind. How could this have happened to him? Was he not doing what was right? They had taken Lady Samantha and he was simply going in to get her back. But he had failed and now she was gone. How could he let that happen? Standing alone in the darkness, Thor felt something he had never felt before, emptiness.

Marco drove down the highway towards the forming storm clouds. He looked upon them with concern and anticipation. He had been thrown alone back to Earth with no explanation a few days ago. Keeping low and under the radar from Headquarters, he waited to see signs from Samantha. She had to return and if not he would have to explain where she had gone. That was an explanation he would rather avoid. Stepping out of the car in time, he watched the storm hit the ground. Heart racing, the smoke cleared to reveal a large man. Not who he was expecting, but it was someone nonetheless.

Before he could even head down to speak to the newcomer, other black cars joined him and agents rushed out towards the man. Marco watched with disbelief as the man took out every single man that came his way. It was pointless. Whoever came through that storm could beat down anyone with just a pinky. Sighing, he walked down towards the battle in front of him. Prepping a stun gun, he shot the man and he fell to the ground with a loud noise. Marco walked up to the body and looked down at Thor, son of Asgard.


	9. Chapter 8

Marco had stayed up all night to ensure he was there when Thor woke up. He was the only person in the entire Headquarters that had any idea who this man was and he wanted to ensure it stayed that way. Hell would definitely break loose if that information got out. The blonde was walking up and he stepped into the room. As soon as his eyes were open, he fought against his restraints and yelled threats. After a few moments, he realized that he was not going anywhere and calmed down. Marco watched in awe. This was the next king of Asgard? He felt rather embarrassed.

'How dare you do this to me! Do you not know who I am?'

'Thor,' he walked over to him. 'Please calm down.'

'So you do know who I am. You must release me at once.'

'I can't do that at the moment. You have to cooperate.'

'Let me go.'

Marco was caught off guard when the blonde was suddenly free from his bonds. Knocking him off his feet, Thor ripped himself free and fled the room. The alarms went off and the hall was filled with flashing red. Marco stood and shook his head. He had to admit that the blonde was strong but not as strong as he should be. Something was wrong. Heading out of the room, he followed the fallen bodies until he saw the blonde heading towards the doors that would lead him outside.

'Thor,' He aimed a stun gun at him. 'It's best if you stay here.'

'How do you know who I am?' He turned to face him. 'You don't see to be like the other mortals.'

'Let's just say we have a friend in common,' he relaxed. 'Is Samantha safe?'

Thor's expression went from shock to anger to sadness. Marco thought the worst. He knew that Samantha had been glued to his side since she arrived in Asgard. If something happened to her, he would know about it. But if he was having trouble just thinking about her then something was definitely wrong. He swallowed and wanted for the blonde to break the silence.

'Who are you?' He finally said.

'I'm Magnus of Asgard. I'm Samantha's guardian.'

'Then I'm sorry to inform you then... She has passed from this world.'

'What do you mean?'

'I couldn't save her in time.'

Marco lowered his weapon and regarded the man before him. He knew that look in someone's eyes. He was telling the truth. Thor slowly turned around and left Headquarters without any further interruptions. This was not going to go well with higher up. What was he going to do? She couldn't be dead though. It didn't seem right. Some trickery was at foot and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Security finally caught up to him and they looked around for the target. They relaxed and turned to him for orders.

'Keep on eye on him.'

The throne room was rather empty. Loki looked around and thought of what was missing. He stood and began to step down. What did his father have that he didn't? Well, for one he had great power and wielded it with pride. That was easy to obtain in time. He also had a great companion in both weapon and woman. Loki smiled. Mjolnir was now in the weapons vault out of Thor's reach. His plan had worked. His brother was banished and soon he would ascend to the throne as the rightful king. He grinned at the thought and soon found himself looking upon the mighty hammer.

Wrapping his hand around the handle, he pulled but it did not move. Trying to stay calm, he tried again. This could not be happening. Looking at it carefully, he noticed the new seal. This was not fair. Why would his father do this? To prevent the unworthy of wielding it? Taking in a deep breath, he calmed himself. It didn't matter. He did not need Mjolnir as a weapon. The companion he had in mind would be both weapon and woman. Leaving the chamber, he entered the dungeons. He stopped at the one at the end to see a rather pale and thin woman. Samantha was curled up on the floor, her clothes were ruined and it looked like she hadn't slept in days. She did not move when he approached.

'How are we feeling today?'

'Like I'm being torn apart,' she breathed.

'You must learn to control the magic within you and this is the only way.'

'I can't take it anymore,' she wripped away some tears.

'I hate to see you like this,' he sighed and walked through the barrier.

'You're doing this to me... You can stop it.'

'I'm doing this only to make you stronger,' he pushed away the hair over her face. 'You are a very unique individual, Samantha.'

'No, I'm not,' she slowly turned her head towards him.

'My father kept you hidden for all these years. Why would he do that to someone who was ordinary?'

'What about my sister? She's been right there in front of you all this time.'

'She is not worthy of your title,' he stood. 'She cannot do what you do.'

'So I must be kept prisoner while you pump magic inside me?' She sat up to challenge him.

'No,' he bent down to her level. 'No, you don't have to me my prisoner anymore.'

'I don't understand.'

'Become my queen.'

Be his queen? Her eyes slowly rose to look into his. There was no joking in his eyes. Where were Odin and Thor to make him king? What exactly happened during her absence? It was clear to her now why he had been so nice and willing to help her. He wanted her to understand who she was so he could use her for some evil plot down the line. He had to be stopped. But only one person could stop him and she had no idea where he could be. Taking a deep breath, she looked at him. This was her chance to get out and find the be person who could stop end. Forcing a smile, she took his hand.

Loki had gone out of his way to ensure she was beautifully made and dressed. But no matter how good she looked, Samantha was still struggling inside. She had been trying her best to play along but she was finding it harder and harder. Everytime he touched her, she had to smile. She had to pretend she still had feelings for him. How long could she keep this up for? All the while, magic from various relics were surging through her body. Opening her tired eyes, she saw four friends enter the throne room. They were shocked to see Loki standing at the throne and even more so her.

'Where is the All-Father?' Sif stepped forward, trying to stay formal.

'He has fallen into a terrible Odin-sleep. I fear he will never wake again.'

'What are the hopes of Thor returning?'

'None, I'm afraid. A lesson must be learned and I cannot interfere.'

'How can you say such a thing?' Sif raised her voice.

'I'm king until my father returns. My final word is nothing to discuss.'

The dark haired, strong woman was about to protest again when she happen to look at Samantha. Her eyes full of sorrow, she shook her head. There was no use in trying to argue with Loki. They did not know his plans. There was nothing they could so that could stop him. Bowing before their king, they left all their hopes behind.

'When will they learn their place?' He turned around and looked at her. She did not meet his gaze. 'I will have to show them who is rightfully king.'

He walked over to her and stroked her cheek. She slightly turned her face away from his touch, enough for him to notice. Instantly pulling away, his gaze burned into her as he sat down. Her entire body went rigid. Did she blow her cover? Was he going to lock her up again? She had to keep strong. She had to keeping playing until she had a moment to herself. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard him stand.

'My queen,' he took her hand and kissed it. 'Why are you so cold with me?'

'Why do you say such a thing?' She looked at him with sad eyes.

'You have not been yourself,' he sounded genuinely worried. 'You do not smile the same.'

'I'm just a little tired.'

'You should get some sleep then,' he let go of her hand. 'I have something to tend to. Will you be here to greet me upon my return?'

'Yes.'

'Then until we meet again, my queen,' he started to walk away

'Loki.'

It took all her might to stand up. He had stopped and turned towards her with curiosity. Taking heavy steps towards him, she looked into his eyes before kissing him. She could tell he was not expecting it but quickly appreciated it. Finally pulling away, he walked away with a smile on his face. The door to the throne room closed and she nearly collapsed. Kissing him would keep him trusting for a little while longer. At least long enough for her to get out of here.

Walking through the halls of the palace with caution, she went down into the chamber of relics. Slowly walking through, she listened for that one familiar song. Turning, she found the hammer. Her assumptions were confirmed. Loki must have tricked Thor into leaving or just kicked him out the door with nothing much his skin. How was she going to find him now? Looking closer, she saw markings on the hammer. This was new. Was it a seal? She didn't have time for this.

Palms sweaty and not knowing what was going to happen to her, she grabbed the handle. Her heart skipped several beats as she felt the power surge through her. A burning sensation spread through her body and she could feel it tearing through her. The power was so much greater than last time and she wasn't sure she could hold on. No, she could not fail. Taking several deep breaths, her head turned towards the other relics in the chamber. Light-headedness was bearing down on her when she reached the pedestal she wanted. Grabbing the relic, her world went black. Was the hammer sucking the life from her? Pressure surrounded her body until she felt the full weight on the hammer pull her down. Eyes barely open, she saw someone she knew. He was trying to say something to her but… but…

Thor stepped out into the fresh morning air. He looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was following. Turning back to the landscape before him, he headed for the horizon. He had to find the Bifrost from which he had come here in. He was going to return to Asgard and put everything right again. He had to now with the new of his father. The last words they had exchanged weren't that of love. He walked in the direction he thought was right, tears freely falling down his cheeks. There was no joy on the horizon. He had lost everything.

'Father,' he whispered to himself. 'Is this what you wanted to teach me? Did you want me to understand how alone I am right now? With no one to turn to.'

He kept walking until it became afternoon according to the sun. Walking around in this mortal form was awkward. He could feel it growing weaker every second, a sensation he was not familiar with. Pushing back his hair, he looked upon something that made his day a little brighter. Sighing with relief, he sped up and headed towards it.

Thor stepped onto the engravings and called for Heimdall. Moments passed and he called again. No answer. He should have expected this. He was about to turn away when he heard soft thunder. Looking up, he saw a storm brewing. Heimdall had heard afterall. He stood and waited to be brought home. His head snapped around when he heard odd sirens. Three cars drove up and several men emerged, one of them being Magnus. Thor did not move as the storm clouds thickened and descended to the earth. He would be home soon and none of this would matter. With a flash of light and a killer sound, the smoke slowly disappeared. Thor was surprised that he had not moved. Turning around, he looked upon a rather familiar person.

'Lady Samantha!'

How could she be standing before him? He saw her fall to her death. The item in her hands dropped to the ground with a small tremor and her body followed. He quickly ran up to her and tried to wake her. Her eyes were half closed and hardly focused, it seemed she was on the verge of dying. He called to her as he cupped her face. Only then did he notice his hammer on the ground and the seal upon it. How was this possible? No one but the worthy wielder could lift the hammer with those seals. But she was just holding it. He looked down at her. There was more to this young woman than she let on. Marco and a few other men were suddenly at his side and took her away.

'Please,' he stood. 'I wish to stay by her side.

He turned around to look at him. Nodding, they both jumped into the car and sped down the highway. Rushing back to building he had just come from, Thor watched her lifeless body being hailed inside. He followed alongside the mobile bed as men in white coats were checking her with various instruments. Bringing her into a large room, the men proceeded to start her heart again. The two men watched through the glass with racing hearts.

'Update?' One of the men said.

'Nothing has changed.'

'Continue!'

Her chest jolted. Nothing. They prepared and tried to start her heart again. Nothing. Thor could not watch anymore. There had to be something he could do to help. The silence of the room was cut clean by the piercing screams of Samantha. Her eyes snapped and she began to panic when she saw the room she was in. No one could understand what she was yelling about. Her body fell back and started to seize. The men stepped into action to steady her vitals. They hooked her up to every machine possible and she eventually stabilized.

'Thor,' Marco turned to him. 'How did she get like this?'

'I do not know what happened to her,' Thor's gaze was fixed upon her.

'Did you have anything to do with this?'

'No.'

Thor looked at the man and saw the concern on his face. Loki had mentioned that he had found Lady Samantha here on Midgard but yet he had stated he was from Asgard. His expression softened. Everything could be explained later. There was a much more important matter at hand. Marco was here for the same reason as he was. He was a friend and possibly his only ally for the moment. He relaxed but stood his ground. Hours passed and the two men were finally allowed into the room. Marco was at her side in seconds, holding her hand.

'I turn my back for one second,' he whispered. 'And you get yourself into trouble.'

'Mh... mhh... Marco?' A whisper came, her eyes were trying to open.

'Samantha,' he grabbed her hand and leaned closer. 'Sammy...'

She had fallen back asleep but the man continued to talk to her. Thor watched with great interest and admiration. The man suddenly stood and pulled something out of his pocket. He turned around and gestured towards the empty chair that was next to the bed. Marco regretfully had other matters to tend to but he did not want her waking up alone. He understood and quickly sat down. The man left and did not return for a few days.

Thor stayed in the room. It was a sight to experience. On a regular rotation, men and women in white would come in and maintain her. He watched and at times would offer to help which they would deny. Looking at her, he was not sure if he should be happy or sad; happy for the fact she was still alive or sad because of her current condition. He couldn't believe everything that was surrounding her and everything that was connected to her in either needle or bandage format.

'How could this have happened to you?'

He waited for a response as if she was standing next to him. It seemed so much easier when he saw Marco do it. Sitting up straight, he slipped his hand under her bandaged one and continued to talk to her. He told stories of when he was a child. Maybe she would enjoy them but then he stopped. He didn't know what she would like to talk about. When they spent time together, she was always so silent, listening to him. He looked down. The only thing he wished for right now was for her to be awake. To talk to him again, to smile. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly. Was she dreaming? It gave him hope. The door opened and in came more people in white but with different instruments. He was asked to leave for a few moments. Stepping outside, Marco was walking towards him with food in hand. They stepped away and ate together.

'Thor,' he cleared his throat. 'How much do you know about Samantha?'

'She is a wonderful person and an excellent warrior.'

'That's not what I meant,' he looked at him closely. 'Do you know about her powers?'

Thor looked up from his overly large sandwich. There was something he was missing and that everyone seemed to know. If she had powers then that would explain how she brought Mjolnir here. The door in front of them opened and the team of doctors stepped out. The doctor had a smile on his face and Marco rushed into the room. Samantha was wide awake and sitting up. All of the needles were taken out and she wasn't wearing any bandages. She looked like she did before, completely healthy.

'Marco!'

The tears just poured out of her eyes as they hugged. They were mumbling to each other through the tears they both were sharing now. There was much love between the two. Thor stood to the side and watched. He felt like he was ruining the moment for some reason. He was about to leave when he felt someone grab his arm. Turning around, Marco gestured towards her before leaving the room. He waited a few moments before walking over and sitting next to her. She was whipping her the remaining tears and then looked at him with a serious look.

'Thor,' she smiled. 'You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now.'

'It's good to see you as well.'

'We must return to Asgard,' she became very serious.

'That is something I cannot do.'

'Why not?' She frowned.

'I've been banished by my father. He took everything away from me,' he looked down.

'I don't understand...'

'I am just a man. Nothing more.'

Samantha took a good look at him. He looked the same since last she saw him until she looked into his eyes. There was true sadness there. His life had been built around his power and his title but without it what was he? Who was going to stop Loki now? Her plan had failed. She reached out and took his hand. He lifted his head to look at her. He eventually squeezed her hand back. Their moment was cut short when Marco came back into the room. They were clear to leave the building and head home.

Standing up, she stumbled for a moment but Thor was right there by her side. She looked at him. It was weird to see him here, on Earth. He was not sporting his usual attire. He was just a man. They arrived at home and it was a great relief to be somewhere safe, somewhere familiar. She headed for her room and looked over her shoulder to see Thor behind her. He seemed to be quite curious about his surroundings. Samantha opened the door to her bedroom and instantly lied down on her bed.

'Welcome to my chamber,' she said, gesturing for him to sit down.

'It's quite the place you have here,' he lied down right next to her.

'It's my home,' she turned her head towards him. 'Marco said you never left my side.'

'I thought you were dead,' he took her hand. 'I saw you fall to your death and I thought I would never see you again.'

His eyes showed so much compassion and love but he did not move. He didn't lean in closer to take advantage of her and the situation. He simply held her hand and asked her about Earth, her life? She couldn't help but smile. What made him like this all of a sudden? She wanted to ask why but it would spoil the moment. They stayed like that as she told stories. Eventually, the conversation died down and they both were fast asleep.


	10. Chapter 9

Samantha had been staring at her ceiling for the past thirty minutes deciding what to do. The reason for this indecision was lying next to her in a heap of gorgeous sleepiness. She could not believe they had fallen asleep together. Would he wake up if she moved away from him? She really wanted to get out of bed. Finally making a move, she got up and went right down to the kitchen. She was feeling pretty good actually. Sleep worked wonders on the body. Marco was already in the kitchen, drinking tea. She came up to the kitchen island and took the extra cup that was there. He got up and started to make breakfast.

'We should talk,' he said over his shoulder. 'About what happened.'

'Someone else knows about me, Marco,' she put down her cup. 'I mean about my powers.'

'Who?'

'Loki...'

'What?' He turned around to face her.

'He wants to use me,' she tried to fight back tears. 'I don't know what for either. He locked me up in the dungeon and...'

'Samantha,' he went to her and hugged her. 'Samatha , it's okay.'

'No, it's not,' she sobbed. 'I escaped to find Thor and give him the hammer so he could stop him. Thor is the only who can stop him but he can't the way he is.'

'I'm sure we'll think of something.'

'He has to be stopped. He's a monster.'

'Samantha,' he cupped her face. 'Sammy, you're safe here. Okay? As long as you're here, you're safe.'

'What are we going to do then?'

She looked up at him with pathetic eyes. He mirrored the expression and continued to prepare breakfast. Composing herself, she opened the newspaper and mindlessly read through the funny pages. After a few moments, she turned around to see Thor enter the room with a smile on his face. She placed a cup of tea in front of him and continued to read the paper. Marco turned around with large plates of food. They ate together in silence though she felt Thor look over at her more times than he should have. She was the first to finish and she put the dishes in the sink.

'Samantha,' Marco stopped her from leaving. 'I think it would be a good idea if you showed Thor around Headquarters.'

'Okay.'

'More specifically the training quarters.'

'You're going to let us train?' She looked at him. 'Are you sure?'

'I think it would be a great idea,' Thor smiled.

'Of course you would,' she eyed him down.

'Samantha,' Marco gave her a look. 'I have work to do and you two need to keep busy and out of trouble.'

Thor watched her and him give looks to one another. After some time, she smiled and hugged him. What had just happened there? He had never seen her like that before. His eyes followed her as she left the room. He turned his attention back to his food when he heard Marco clear his throat. He met his gaze and he simply stared back, drinking his tea. Thor smiled and continued to eat his food. Marco continued to stare at him. He knew what this was all about by the look the man was giving him. He ate one more mouthful of food before opening his mouth.

'Magnus, or Marco,' he said calmly.

'Thor,' he put down his tea. 'You and I both know your history with women. There's no point in lying. What are your intentions towards Samantha?'

'I only wish to see her happy and out of harm's way.'

'Good,' he looked at him long and hard. 'She's been through a lot and just needs someone there for her.

'I will do my best.'

'She's like a daughter to me and for that reason she deserves only the best. You understand?'

'I do not.'

'Stop being the arrogant ass you are and maybe she will give you a chance.'

Thor looked at the man with a frown on his face. He was rather blunt for someone who knew who he really was, what he was capable of doing. Smiling, he thanked him for the wonderful food before heading towards the stairs. His mind ever reflecting upon what Marco had said.

Samantha was rummaging through her closet when the door crept open. She turned around to see Thor standing in the doorway. Finding what she was looking for, she handed him some clothes she thought would fit him. He looked at them curiously and went into the bathroom. She dressed herself and packed a bag with anything she could think of. Thor was finally ready and the three of them headed out. Marco parted ways as soon as he stepped out of the car. Samantha closed the door and looked at the ever curious Thor.

'What is this place?'

'This is Headquarters,' she started to walk.

'Weren't we here yesterday?' He looked at a few passing men.

'Yes. It's a pretty big place.'

The conversation ended as she quickened her pace. Entering the training quarters, she pointed towards the lockers that had the training suites. She took one and changed in the other room. This was going to be good for her. She needed something to keep her mind off what was happening. Thor had always been there ready to fight and now that he was needed the most, he couldn't. Zipping up the suite, she returned to the training quarters to see Thor was waiting and patiently. She shamefully took a moment to look at him and quickly noticed he was staring at her. Walking over to a keypad, she imputed a few numbers.

'Marco programed this room himself,' she turned towards him. 'There are some pretty good training programs he would make me do when he was too busy to join me.'

'How does it work?'

'Go with your instinct,' she handed him a training sword. 'That's what he always tells me.'

He took the sword and looked at it. It wasn't anything impressive compared to what he was used to but it was better than nothing at all. This training program intrigued him though. How could one fight alone in an empty room? He watched Samantha step forward and take her place. Her eyes were fixed on something he could not see. A figure suddenly appeared and when she cut it down it vanished. What kind of magic was this? With a smile on his face, he stepped in beside her.

The training sequence began and Thor quickly understood the objective. The program already knew Samantha's style of fighting and challenged her accordingly. But the program was having trouble categorizing Thor and it was clear that he was not being challenged. Her eyes locked onto him and she saw that he was enjoying himself. He was not taking this training sequence seriously. He never took anything seriously. In a sudden fit of rage, she spun into his blind spot and knocked him down hard.

He lifted his head and was shocked that she was the one who knocked him down. Slowly getting to his feet, he looked at her with some confusion. Why was she looking at him that way? He had never seen her express anger before, especially not towards him. Never breaking the gaze between them, she walked over to the keypad and typed in a new code. The room dimmed as she stepped back into the active area. Was she challenging him?

Taking his stance, he was the first to attack and she easily moved out of the way. Oh, she was going to play this game again. Well, he could easily play along. They danced around the room until Thor finally saw his opening. Taking the hit, she fell to the ground. Recovering quickly, she charged towards him. Expecting her to attack, she slipped under him and knocked him off his feet. Two could play rough. Jumping to his feet, she was ready to receive anything he could throw at her. Cracking his neck, he attacked with more force. She held her own very well until she blocked an attack and the training swords broke into pieces.

Thor laughed and brushed his fingers into his hair. Expecting to take a break, he was suddenly knocked back. He rubbing his face and looked at Samantha who had her fists up. She just punched him. How dare she punch? What exactly had gotten into her? Punching him again snapped him out of his thoughts. Squaring his shoulders, he raised his fists. With a fire that could burn down a thousands forests, Samantha kept attacking him. They weren't thoughtful attacks either. Thor then noticed her cheeks were wet. Was she crying? He eventually got a hold of her arms and held her still. The fire in her eyes had died and only pain could be seen.

'Lady Samantha,' he whispered.

'We're done here.'

Ripping her arms free, she whipped away her tears and headed towards the changing room. Locking the door behind her, she took a long needed hot shower. She could not explain what had just happened in there. Something had come over her. Turning off the water, she dried herself off and got dressed. She had to admit though, she felt a million times better. Grabbing her bag, she turned towards the door and stopped. Loki was standing a little ways away. Her heart began to race as he stepped towards her.

'So this is where you disappeared to?' He looked around. 'Don't you like Asgard?'

'Loki,' she tried to keep the distance between them until she hit a wall.

'You don't seemed pleased to see me,' he spread his arms.

'You just scared me that's all,' she quickly composed herself. 'This is the girl's locker room after all.'

'Why did you leave?' He looked rather serious. 'It took me a while to find you.'

'I had to see Marco,' she looked down on the floor. 'He wasn't in Asgard.'

'That's because my father wanted him here,' he came right up to her. 'Where he must stay.'

'But why?'

'I do not know,' he touched her cheek. 'Are you ready to return to Asgard?'

'Loki,' she looked at him with big eyes. 'Please give me a few days. If I'm never going to see him again then let me have a proper goodbye.'

'I understand,' he lowered his hand to touch her necklace. 'I will give you two days, not a second more.'

Without another word, he was gone. Samantha stared at the wall until her breathing returned to normal and her cheeks were dry. Making sure she was proper, she picked up her bag and walked out of the changing room. She looked up to see Thor was looking through the training weapons. He picked up each one, inspect it and then put it down. His head turned towards her when the changing room door closed. He smiled and she forced herself to smile. They walked out of the training quarters and met up with Marco who was shocked to see them out and about.

'How was training?' He smiled.

'Fine,' Samantha continued to walk.

'Thor?'

'I find your methods and training rather interesting. I would like to try it again.'

'It's good to see one of you in a good mood.'

Samantha ignored both the men as they spoke to each other. She wasn't in the mood to talk. She wasn't really in the mood to do anything actually. The visit from Loki had really thrown her off balance. She thought she was safe on Earth, safe from him. He would be true to his word to the second. She didn't want to go back. She couldn't go back. They arrived in the parking area and Samantha was having a hard time keeping it together. She felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Thor. She tried to force a smile but it didn't work out.

Next thing she knew, he was hugging her. His arms were wrapped around her and she could feel his hand stroking her head. Within that moment, she felt safe. Nothing could harm her. She returned the hug willingly. A car horn broke them up. It was Marco pulling up with a smirk on his face. Thor wiped away a tear from her cheek before opening the door for her. They returned home where Marco started to make dinner. Samantha quickly went to her room to change into something more comfortable. Grabbing some clothes, she went into bathroom to clean up. Stepping out, Thor was looking through her paintings and pictures near her desk.

'Lady Samantha, these are fantastic,' he picked up one. 'It's Marco!'

'Thanks but they're not that really good,' she sat down on her bed.

'I didn't know you were such a good artist.'

'It never came up in the conversation. You always spoke of yourself,' she started to put on her socks.

'Have I done something wrong?' He put everything down and turned to her. 'You have not been yourself as of late.'

'I'm sorry. It's nothing,' she looked down.

'Lady Samantha,' he sat down next to her. 'I do not like to see you like this.'

'Why were you banished?'

'My father,' he seemed distant and lost in thought. 'I have a lesson to learn and cannot return until it has been done. He would not want me to.'

'Why don't you talk to him?'

'My father is dead.'

'Thor,' she looked at him. 'You're father is still alive. He's in the Odin-Sleep.'

'But why would Loki lie about such a matter.'

'I wouldn't trust him anymore if I were you,' she crossed her arms.

'Why would you say such a thing?' He looked at her. 'You do not know him as I do. He's my brother!'

'Did you know your brother imprisoned me?' She stepped away from the bed.

'What?'

'Yes. He locked me up in the dungeon and basically tortured me for this elaborate plan to take over the universe. He hurt me beyond any hurt I've experienced.'

'Why didn't you tell me this?' He stood.

'That's because everything always has to be about you, Thor,' she started to raised her voice. 'You are so arrogant and self centered that you don't see the people and their feelings around you.'

'I'm sorry. I didn't-'

'You should be sorry,' she started to cry. 'I risked my life to escape from your brother. I risked my life to get to you so you could stop him. But you can't know, can you? It was all for nothing.'

'I'm sorry for your pain,' he looked at her. 'That's why you wanted me to return to Asgard.'

'Yes,' she dried her face.

'Lady Samantha,' he placed a hand on her shoulder. 'I will need Mjolnir before returning.'

'You don't have it? I brought it back for you.'

'It was not important at the time.'

'What was?'

'You were…'

'Oh,' she looked down. 'It could be anywhere now. I don't remember where I was.'

'I will do my best to help you in this search.'

'What's gotten into you?' She looked at him. 'You are actually being considerate.'

'You have showed me much since first we met,' he stepped closer.

'Really?' She pulled a face. 'I haven't really been nice to you.'

She relaxed when he smiled at her and she smiled back. They held each other's gaze for a while. Thor's face softened when he cupped her face. She had just exploded on him with no consequence except a smile. If she had done this a week ago, she would have been flogged. She was liking this new Thor more and more. Maybe being banished was the best thing for him. Well, she could have been banished a long time ago. She hesitated before touching his hand. He moved a little closer and stopped when they heard Marco's voice. Dinner looked great and Samantha couldn't wait to start eating.

'You seem to be in a better mood,' Marco looked at her before eating a mouthful. 'Did yelling improve your mood?'

'Oh… You heard that?' She kept her eyes on her plate. 'Did you hear everything?'

'Not everything, but the more important parts.'

'I'm sorry, Marco,' she made puppy eyes. 'I just couldn't keep it in anymore and Thor was the closest person, unfortunately.'

'I think he deserves an apology.'

'Thor,' she turned to him and smiled. 'I'm sorry for yelling at you.'

'I think he needs a better apology,' they both looked at Marco who seemed pretty happy with himself. 'And I may knew where that apology is.'


	11. Chapter 10

A giant smile appeared on Samantha's face when she looked at Thor. She knew exactly what Marco was talking about. For the first time, she was happy that Headquarters was as nosey as they had been lately. The blonde smiled and continued to eat. Clearly he didn't quick understand that the apology was not the vocal but an item. She shook her head a little and returned her attention towards the agent in front of her.

'I know Headquarters has set up some structure just off the highway,' he scratched his head. 'But getting to it may be the bigger issue. I barely have clearance to be near that area.'

'Which means we shouldn't be there at all,' she straightened and thought for a moment.

'You're going to have to find another way in.'

'Where are we going?' Thor looked at him.

'Headquarters has Mjolnir under lock and key at the moment,' Samantha faced him. 'And we need to get our hands on it before we leave for Asgard.'

'Will it be difficult?'

'Yes,' she and Marco said at the same time.

'Good,' he smiled.

Pooling their ideas and thoughts together, the three of them stood on the side of the highway, ready for the most stressful infiltration of their lives. All three of them were wearing the typical agent suite and sunglasses. Samantha and Marco were having a hard time keeping it together when they looked at Thor. He held himself well in the clothes until he pulled out his fake badge and spoke.

'So let me do the talking,' Marco turned towards them. 'Just keep your eyes open for Mjolnir. Let's try to keep this as quiet as possible. Ready?'

'Ready.'

Flashing their badges like they owned the place, all three of them walked right into the facility. Samantha looked around for a while and noticed all the rooms of computers. She looked quickly into a room and noticed it was empty. Stepping in, she realized that the computers were analyzing something. She glanced over her shoulder before getting closer to the computer. One of the folders displayed on the screen caught her attention. It had her name on it. She reached for the mouse but she felt someone grab her arm. It was Thor and he insisted that they kept going. Leaving the room, they continued down the hall.

They reached the center of the facility and Marco went around the area to make sure it stayed clear for the next little while. The two stepped close to the railing to look down at the hammer. It was still lying where it had fallen from her hands. It still glowed as if she had never touched it. She was not strong enough to lift the seal but it was enough to get it here. Now the fate of so many were in his hands. She watched him as he looked upon the hammer. There was love in his gaze but also uncertainty. Would he be able to pick it up and return to Asgard? She followed him down and stood with the hammer between them. Their eyes met and she smiled.

'There's a seal protecting it,' she looked down at her hands. 'I had to learn the hard way.'

'You are no commoner, Lady Samantha. What are you?'

'I have something inside me that allows me to take magic away from things. That's why I could bring it here, barely.'

'I'm impressed. This is by my father's hand,' he looked hard. 'You should be proud.'

'But maybe if I were strong I could-'

'This is not your fault, Lady Samantha. It' mine.'

His blue eyes rose to meet her's. For a moment, they just looked at each other until he winked and smiled. She was glad to see that the situation didn't dampen his spirits. Bending down, he reached for the handle. Before his hand could enclose over the fine leather of the handle, there was a gunshot and the blonde fell to the ground. Samantha screamed and was about to run to him when the small area filled with soldiers. Where did they all come from? She didn't hear an alarm or them coming for that matter. Two of the soldiers grabbed hold of her as she glared up at a man sporting an eyepatch on the landing.

'Who do you think you are?' She struggled against the men.

'Nick Furry. The head of this organization.'

'What do you think you're doing then?' She locked gazes with him. 'You didn't want to shoot him.'

'I think I had every right to shoot,' he clasped his hands behind his back. 'It looked like he was going to take something that belongs to me.'

'And how do you know that for sure?'

'Well,' he stepped down to their level. 'When a man that I do not recognize with a false I.D. comes into my facility, I automatically assume he's going to take what's valuable inside.'

'So this object here is valuable to you?'

'And the file that accompanies it, which keeps growing and growing,' he started to circle around. 'And it seems your name keeps popping up. Can you tell me why that is?'

'No,' she shrugged her shoulders.

'Samantha,' he sighed. 'Let's not make this harder than it is. I just want clear information. It's as simple as that.'

'I don't know anything.'

'I'm not the enemy here, Samantha. I just want this whole mess cleaned up.'

He waved a hand and several men came over to take away the unconscious Thor. Samantha stepped forward to stop them but the two men reminded her that they were there. She could have easily gotten away from them but now was not the time. Plus, she wouldn't get that far before they shot her with a tranquilizer then she would be useless. Her eyes followed the men with concern as they disappeared into the facility and then turned onto Nick. He had not stopped looking at her this entire time.

'Where are you taking him? What are you going to do to him?'

'Just answer a few questions and the both of you can skip off into the sunset together.'

'I doubt that very much,' she was now frowning, trying to figure out a plan. 'Is anything that easy around here?'

'I don't think you fully understand the situation around you,' he took a few steps. 'This is bigger than you and me.'

'Will you care to elaborate?'

'Only if you do the honors first, Lady Samantha.'

'Fine,' she sighed and looked away. 'But I would like somewhere more private.'

He nodded and the two soldiers let her go. Glaring at them as they walked by, she followed them up the stairs. Before leaving the area, she looked over her shoulder to get one last look at the hammer. They found a secluded room where they made Samantha sit and wait. She didn't know how long she had been waiting for but she was getting anxious. The door finally opened and the man with the eyes patch stepped in. Nick put a device on the table as he sat down. She figured it was either to record the conversation or to block it out from unwanted listeners. He clasped his hands on the table and regarded her. She casually sat in the chair across from him and stared back.

'Let's start from the beginning,' he said calmly, gesturing to her.

'You are going to have to be more specific than that.'

'Tell me who the blonde gentleman is.'

'His name is Thor,' she eyed him. 'You know, the god of thunder.'

'Samantha,' he shook his head. 'Now is not the time for fiction. I need fact.'

'Who says I'm not telling the truth,' she leaned forward. 'Who says that that man is not Thor?'

'Legends and myths are what they are, legend and myths,' he stood up and stepped away. 'Unless you can give me hard fact to believe in such things.'

'What about the hammer? No one can lift it, can they?' She raised her voice and it got his attention. 'That's because only Thor can wield the hammer. It's his power.'

'Only Thor can lift it, you say?' He turned to her.

'Yes,' she smiled. He was finally getting it.

'Are you Thor?'

'Uh, no...'

'Then tell me why you could lift it?'

She was caught off guard by the question and instantly went silent. Should she tell him? Even if she did, how could she prove such a thing? She looked up at him with the biggest puppy eyes she could muster but he still left the room and locked the door behind him. She stared at the door in hope that maybe he would come back. Her shoulders sank when she realized that he want not coming back anytime soon. She stood up and slowly paced the room. The plan was not going according to plan. How was she going to prove that he was Thor if everyone around her didn't believe in such things? The room suddenly became very cold and she slowly turned around to see the very last person she wanted to see.

'I would like a warning next time you decide to grace me with your presence,' she locked eyes with Loki.

'You don't sound happy to see me,' he stayed where he was.

'I want to be alone, Loki,' she turned around. 'Go away.'

'That's no way to treat me,' he walked over to her.

Samantha had her arms crossed and insisted on staring at the wall. Her heart was beginning to race. She had lost track of time. Had it already been two days? She tried to breathe deeply until she felt a cold presence behind her. Hesitating first, maybe it was her imagination, she turned around to find Loki standing only a few paces away. She let her arms relax to her side as she watched him. He smiled. He seemed to be in a good mood which didn't make her feel any more comfortable. He reached out and touched her cheek, with more affection than she thought possible.

'Loki,' she pushed it away. 'I'm tired of your tricks.'

'So soon?' He stepped close enough to feel his breath on her skin. 'We haven't even spent our first night together.'

'Get away from me,' shivers went down her spine.

'You don't mean that,' he cupped her face towards him. 'You are my queen after all.'

'No,' she whispered.

'You love to play games, don't you?'

'No,' she shoved him away. 'I don't want anything to do with you.'

'Lady Samantha,' he was shocked by her sudden actions. 'What has gotten into you?'

'I see right through you,' she stepped closer and pushed him again. 'I see your black heart and evil ways.'

'Lady Samantha,' he pleaded.

'Loki,' she glared at him with hard eyes. 'I would rather die than spend another second in your presence.'

'Then so be it.'

His face hardened and his eyes hardened with hate. He stared at her for a long time before disappearing. She finally could take deep breaths again. His emotions had changed so suddenly. The flicker in his eyes disturbed her greatly. Her head turned slightly to the noise of the door opening and in came the infamous Nick Furry. He looked a little concerned while he looked around the room. She sat back down in her chair and looked at him. Their eyes met.

'Who were you talking to?'

'I wasn't talking to anyone,' she said a little too quickly.

'Don't lie, Samantha,' he was standing in front of her. 'We saw you through the cameras.'

'So you saw him?'

'Saw who?'

'No one,' she sighed. 'I was talking to myself… I'm ready to tell the truth.'

'Good,' he held the word as he sat down.

'Thor and I are from a realm called Asgard. I have the power to take away the power of any relic and that's how I was able to pick of the hammer before but not now. Odin put me here to save himself and now Loki is trying to take over the universe.'

'I thought you said you were going to tell the truth!' He yelled at her. 'None more of this nonsense of gods and relics.'

'But it all exists. I've been there. You have to believe me.'

'I don't have to-'

He was cut off by the sudden tremor. The only two people in the room looked at each other. There was yet another tremor and the door burst open. An agent looked at him and said something had breached the outer perimeter. Something they could not identity. This sent the man running out of the room. Conveniently, he did not close the door behind him. Samantha waited for a few minutes before heading over. One more tremor sent her into the doorframe. What exactly was happening? This area wasn't known to have earthquakes let alone tremors this violent. She looked around and noticed that no one was around. Hurrying through the halls, all the room were empty except one.

'Thor.'

She ran into the room to see Thor tied in a chair. She grabbed his limp head. He was still out cold from whatever they shot him with. She shook him a little but he didn't move. Shaking him even harder didn't work either. She sighed and let him go. Stepping back, she slapped him across the face. And again… And again… She couldn't believe this. There was another tremor but this time a part of the wall exploded. The two were thrown into the still remaining wall.

'Ugh...'

Samantha's head snapped to see the blonde's eyes slowly open. The tremors were becoming more violent and debris began to fly into the air. His eyes opened to see her trying to untie him. He quickly looked around and was shocked at the condition of the room. Getting one arm free, he did the rest himself. He looked at her but his eyes quickly snapped to something behind them. Next thing they knew, the ground beneath them exploded and yet again they were thrown into the air. Both winded, Thor was the first to stand and set eyes upon the reason for all this destruction. The enchanted armor that had forever guarded the weapons' vault was now in front of him.

He ran to Samantha's side, grabbed her and ran around the corner to avoid the Destroyer's next attack. The ground trembled under its footsteps as it came closer to them. Thor was about to look around the corner but soon found that there was no corner to look around. Smoke and debris flew into the air. The couple tried to make their way through it. There were other shadows moving in the smoke but it was hard to see who exactly it was.

'What is that?' She said as they walked through the part of the facility that was still standing.

'I do not understand why it is here,' he marched forward. 'It has no reason to be.'

'You know what is it?' She tried to keep up with him. 'You know how to stop it then?'

'It only takes orders from the king of Asgard,' he opened a door to reveal an empty room. 'There's nothing I can do to stop it. Not in my currently condition.'

'Then speak to Loki. It must be a mistake.'

'I don't know what he's thinking.'

Thor opened another door and it revealed a destroyed part of the facility. Across the field of rubble was a group of people and among them was Marco. She was about to run to him when an arm stopped her from going any further. Small tremors grew as the armored enemy came into view. It stopped. A moment passed and then its head snapped to look at the group of people. Samantha's eyes grew wide as she realized it was going to attack them. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she pushed Thor's arm out of the way and sprinted towards them. The Destroyer's new target entered the scene.

'No!'

But it was too late for Thor to do anything. He made it two steps before the rubble under Samantha's feet became more rubble as the scene was thrown into the air along with the beam of fire. Hitting the ground hard, Samantha tried to will herself to get up. Head spinning, she turned on her to see Marco on the ground and beyond him Thor struggling to his knees. But her attention was now on the man in front of her. He wasn't moving. Finally finding the will to move, she crawled over to him. Arriving on her knees, she looked around before placing a hand on Marco's face. He didn't move.

'Marco,' she cried. 'Marco, are you okay?'

'Sammy,' he struggled with his words. 'What is...'

'Marco,' she held his face. 'Stay awake!'

'Lady Samantha!' He was at her side. 'Why would you do something like that? You almost got yourself killed.'

'Marco was in trouble,' she turned her head towards him. 'I couldn't stand losing him. He's always been there for me.'

'Lady Samantha.'

Thor placed a hand on her quivering shoulder but she ignored him. She continued to talk to Marco and stroke his face. Never had he thought it would come to this. Never had he thought anyone would get this hurt. He looked down at Samantha who was now crying. He had seen the pain on her face when she looked at him. The sorrow in her eyes. She had risked her life to try to help him, try to save him from being hurt like this. She didn't think twice about it either. She cared for him more than herself. The blonde had never seen this before. He looked up to see the Destroyer.

Standing up to his full height, he walked forward towards the Destroyer. He didn't know what was to come from his actions. He knew he was not powerful enough to fight it. Samantha risked her life to bring him Mjolnir to him then at least he could try to help her now. All his life, he knew not of pain in the heart, not of weakness and not of anything that made him displeased. Yet this woman... She stood up to him and put the needs of others before her. It took him awhile to understand why she could do such a thing then it came to him. His father's words echoed in his head. He could see now. He could see himself walking to his death. Standing before the giant, he waited for his fate.

Samantha rubbed her eyes and saw men in white coming towards her. They saw the injured man and turned their attention towards him. She cared for him so much and wanted to help but they simply pushed her away. They put him on a medical bed and left her behind. Taking in a deep breath, she looked around for Thor. Shifting her body around, her heart skipped a beat. He was standing a few feet away from the cause of all the destruction. She screamed his name and he turned his head to look at her. Reaching out to him, his head slowly turned back only to be struck by the Destroyer. His body was thrown into the air and landed not too far away. Fresh tears on her face, she crawled over to him. His body was broken, it was obvious. She placed a gentle hand on his face. She heard the sound of the his last breath and lowered her head to rest on his shoulder.

The ground began to tremble again as the armored giant walked away from the area. Samantha sat up as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Agent Coulson with a grave look on his face. Turning back to look, she lowered her head and kissed him lightly on the lips. Taking one last look at the lifeless blonde, she stood up and followed the agent. She could see just up ahead that Nick Furry was waiting for her. They made eye contact and she stopped dead in her tracks. The air was vibrating. Their heads turned up to the sudden darkened sky. Samantha turned around to see the man lying in the rubble begin to stir. Turning her head around, she looked right at the man with the eye patch.

'I hope you're ready, Nick,' she smirked. 'You're about to meet the god of thunder.'

From the darkening clouds came thunder and lightening. The wind started to pick up and a whirlwind flashed before them. The armored giant had stopped and was not turning around to gaze upon a man dressed in the mighty clothing of that of Asgard and in his hand appeared Mjolnir. Throwing up his arm in triumph, he engaged the Destroyer once again but this time knowing he would be victorious. The humans on the ground watched in awe at the power being thrown around. It was something beyond that was on Earth. Samantha turned around and looked at the men behind her.

'Do you believe me now?'

All their eyes were now fixed upon the god that was now approaching them. The armored giant was down on the ground, finally defeated. Samantha turned away from the agents and went to meet him. His eyes were fixed upon her. Letting his hammer drop to the ground, he brought her towards him and placed a longing kiss upon her lips. Someone cleared their throat and the couple turned around. Thor picked up his hammer and joined the group of men not too far away. Nick looked at the man with a frown. Was he debating whether or not to believe what was in front of him? No one seemed like they were going to say anything or couldn't say anything for that matter. Looking away from them, Thor focused on Samantha.

'Are you ready, Lady Samantha?'

'Where do you think you're going?' Nick spoke up.

'There is some matters in Asgard that must be taken care of,' Thor looked at the man. 'The safety of the nine realms is at risk.'

'And Samantha is going to help you eliminate this risk?' He eyed them both. 'How do I know you will come back?'

'I have to come back,' she looked down for a moment. 'Not just for Marco but because Odin wants me here.'

'It seems like I am missing a lot of important information.'

'There is no time to waste,' Thor stepped in. 'We must depart but everything will be explained in time.'

'It better be or there's going to be a lot of questions floating around and a lot of angry people.'

'Nick,' she looked at him. 'Just keep Marco safe.'

'What about that thing?'

Agent Coulson tilted his head towards the pile of metal that was among the rubble. It wasn't a threat to them anymore. Thor looked at the remains of the Destroyer and then back at the throng of men. It was useless to either party so he considered it a gift to do with it as they pleased. None of them really had the power to rebuild it so it was useless on Earth. Anyway, Thor was more interested in the person who had sent it here and that person was waiting for them in Asgard. Thor turned to Samantha and smiled.

'Are you ready to face what's to come?'

'More than I'll ever be.'

Looking around, the two walked over to the Bifrost that was partially covered by dirt and rubble. Thor looked up at the sky and yelled Heimdall's name. Samantha looked curiously at the ground and then thought of the relic she had picked up from the chamber. It had brought her here which was what she wanted but she thought it brought her to Thor. It actually brought her through already determined Bifrost engravings. She looked up a Thor and he seemed rather confused why nothing was happening. She put up her hand for him to be silent. Listening carefully, she marched off to dig in a certain spot to reveal the item she wanted. Walking back over, Thor looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

'I should have told you that Heimdall can't see anything around me. It's part of who I am.'

'You should have informed me earlier,' he frowned. 'This does delay our return.'

'Not really,' she smirked and showed him the relic.

'What is that?'

'This is what got me here and what will bring us back.'

'Then let's go.'

He wrapped an arm around her and she held on tight. The air around them shifted, the wind blowing violently and the ever growing pressure. It was the feeling of travelling through the Bifrost that she would never get used to. Frightfully cold air surrounded them as the ground became firm under their feet. Opening their eyes, they gazed upon a different Asgard. An Asgard encrusted in ice and decorated with snow. The frost giants had taken over this realm.


	12. Chapter 11

The once glowing city of the Gods was now a wasteland of ice and snow. The air was cool and stagnant. The sun didn't shine down on the spires of the now frozen structures. Thor stood, bewildered, before the place where he had grown up. The place where he would one day rule over. How could this have happened? A great sorrow was now coating his heart. Not looking back, he walked forward towards the palace. Samantha was not too far behind him, trying to stay warm in just her human clothes.

It was an eerie place to walk through. The houses and the people they passed were frozen in whatever position at the time. Some were caught in their daily routine and others were in complete turmoil. It must have been a sudden attack. It was unfortunate to see. Were they still alive under the thick coat of ice? Touching the face of a young child, the eyes flickered. Samantha jumped back and sped up to meet with Thor. It started to snow.

'How is this possible?' She whispered for she thought the ice might crack by the sound of her voice.

'Only one relic is powerful enough to cause such destruction. It's more the wielder that I'm concerned about. Not many can hold such a relic.'

'Do you know who it is?' She eyed him.

'I have my guesses.'

They continued in silence as they walked through the cold hallways of the palace. Their memories of this place in a happier time floated into their minds. The echoes of their conversations and laughter died instantly against the cold. Now it was just void of all emotion and warmth. They stood in front of the doors to the throne room. Thor turned towards Samantha.

'I should go alone from here,' he brought her close. 'I need to have a talk with my brother.'

'Is there any other way I can help,' she said in a non-convincing tone.

'You can help my searching the rest of the palace. Seek help.'

'Okay... Be safe.'

She kissed him softly on the lips before speeding down the hall. She didn't know if she was going to find anyone that could help. What if they were all frozen and they were the only two left? She stopped dead in her tracks. What if there was something else around beside humans? Wasn't there already a world of perpetual winter? Starting slow, she cautiously walked down the halls and looked around a corner. Four frozen figures were there but they didn't look like they were moving. No! They were the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. This was her idea of help but that wasn't going to work. Grabbing the axe that had been dropped by Volstagg, she headed down the hall.

She continued to look and came to an already open chamber. Golden light was pooling into the hallway. Popping her head inside, she was lost for words. The chamber was like any other, frost and ice redecorated it but it did not cover everything. An untouched dome of golden dust surrounded the sleeping Odin. Samantha stepped into the room and approached it. Laying her eyes upon the All-Father, she held her breath. He was not frozen like the others. Reaching into the dust, she placed her hand upon his. It was warm as the afternoon sun. Pulling back, she heard someone enter the room and quickly hid. She felt the soft vibration of footsteps and then they stopped.

Peeking out from her hiding place, she saw a giant being. There was no doubt in her mind that these were the being that took over this world, frost giants. Thor had spoken of the various beings that inhabited the other realms and this was the first time laying eyes on one. But what she wanted to know was what it was doing in the chambers of the Odin King. Keeping still, she watched as it walked forward and loomed over the sleeping king. Getting even closer, he leaned over and whispered something. Hearing the words of a terrible intention, she jumped out of her hiding place and did the first thing that came to mind.

The giant growled in pain and in frustration as the axe was lodged into the side of his neck. Quickly pulling it out, she stumbled back onto the ground. His head snapped around and his red eyes locked into her. Its blood was pooling out of the wound, a contrast of blue and yellow. Standing up and taking a stance, Samantha was ready to face the consequences of her actions.

'I'm quite surprised to see you here, little one,' he stepped down towards her.

'Thought no one was going to stop you from killing the All-Father?' She kept her distance.

'The fates are in my favour today,' he mused.

'Who are you?' She stayed firm. 'What are you talking about?'

'I'm Laufey, soon to be king of all the nine realms and keeper of the greatest weapon of all.'

'What are you talking about?'

There was a pause as the two stared at one another. A smile crept up on the frost giant's face as he went forward. Expecting an attack, Samantha stepped back and repaired to dodge whatever he threw at her. Her opponent was big and had an open gash on his neck, which was to her advantage. But even with the wound, was she going to be strong enough to take him down? The frost giant attack and she was surprised that she could dodge it rather easily. Around the room they danced. Weapon in hand, she dodged every attack, waiting for the right moment to counter.

'You are quick and experienced in battle,' he sliced through the air. 'I hope your enchanting abilities are far greater than this.'

'Enchanting?' She frowned. 'You have me mixed up with another.'

'Little knowledge you know of yourself,' he sneered. 'You posses all since your sister has passed.'

'What?'

She let her guard down for only a moment but it was enough for him to make contact. The blow hit her side and her body was thrown into the chamber wall. He lunged towards her and she surprisingly reacted fast enough to get out of the way. But at a price. She was on her feet, weaponless, and waiting for the next attack. It came fast enough and the battle continued. It was faster to move now but she was defenseless.

'What do you mean I posses everything?' She breathed.

'That is what makes you and your sister special. If the magicless one dies, the other gains nothing. But the other way around, you gain everything.'

'So my sister is dead?'

'Yes and I saw to that happily,' he chuckled to himself.

She looked down for just a moment to process the information and within that moment he attacked. She did not react in time and for that she received a clean gash across her body. Falling into the wall, she held her side in attempt to stop the bleeding. A cruel smile appeared on her opponents face as she tried to breathe away the pain. He stood tall and looked down at her. Was he going to kill her? No, he wouldn't. He seemed to have been waiting for her to return. Her eyes fell to see her only hope. Right behind the frost giant was the axe, lying and waiting to be used. She quickly looked to see where his attention was.

'What are you going to do with me?' She distracted him. 'You don't need me to kill the All-Father.'

'I have plans for all the realms. It's just good luck to have you in my possession.'

Yet another type of smile was painted on his face and he looked away for a moment. It was long enough for her to leap over to the axe. She swung her weapon as he turned around and grazed his lower leg. He growled and grabbed the wound. Taking this opportunity, she stood up and attacked again. Putting all her weight into the swing, it cut deep into his side. Tugging quickly, it came free along with a river of blood. Keeping weapon firm in hand, she glared at him.

'Killing my sister was a big mistake,' she said through clenched teeth. 'You just created a very dangerous weapon.'

Closing the distance between the two, she raised her weapon to attack again but was foiled by the frost giant suddenly sweeping around and grabbing her. Dropping the axe, she tried to pry away the hand that was clenched around her throat. Feeling the strength of the hand around her neck, she tried hard to pull free. Lifting her body off the ground, he smiled at the struggling woman in his grip. No longer gasping for air, Samantha could feel her world slowly fading out. Air suddenly returned to her lungs as she fell to the ground along with a pool of golden particles. Finally catching her breath, she realized that her enemy had disappeared. Collecting her thoughts, she sat up to look upon Loki, her savior.

Pushing open the throne room door, Thor strode in. The room was more decorated than the rest. Ice thorns and swirls of glass were on every pillar. The throne itself had become larger and more sinister with the thorns. It was a perfect fit for the one that sat on it. Upon that structure was his dear little brother, Loki. He seemed rather shocked to see him walking towards him. Maybe he had sent the Destroyer to end his life. Maybe his brother had become someone else as Samantha had said. Loki's expression turned into a coat of happiness.

'It is an honor that you grace me with your presence, brother,' he stood and slowly stepped down the throne steps. 'Welcome home.'

'What has happened here? What have you done to our home?'

'Don't you like it?' He smiled. 'I much prefer this. It feels more comfortable.'

'Loki, you must stop this foolishness,' he walked towards him. 'What has become of you?'

'Oh, dear brother,' a different look appeared on his face. 'If only you knew.'

Thrusting his golden spear forward, Loki hit his older brother. The first move had been made and now it was up to the other to choose where this battle was going to go if it was going to go at all. Standing firm, Thor turned his head back to look upon the stranger in front of him. Everything he knew about him, the memories they shared and had brought to one other was now compromised. What made his younger brother become like this? Having to wait a long time, Loki attacked again.

'Why do you not fight me?' He said through clenched teeth.

'Because you are my brother,' his shoulders hung low. 'How do you expect anyone to do such a thing as this?'

'So the big brute is finally using his brain?' He cooed with a smirk. 'Or maybe you've become soft in your banishment?'

'No, Loki!' He raised his voice. 'I've seen the wrong in my actions and now I seek to put them right. Will you be able to do such a thing when the time comes?'

Loki's smirked disappeared. The two stood staring at one another until the younger became too impatient and attacked. There was no reasoning with Loki anymore. He had made his choices and now he was going to pay for them. In the throne room, the two fought. It was not an ordinary sparring match like they used to do in the courtyard. This battle was serious and each blow Loki threw was meant to hurt. Thor was holding his own until his opponent saw an opening and knocked him to the ground.

'What is this? You've become weak since we last fought?'

'I do not wish to fight you, brother,' Thor's face became soft. 'You cannot ask that of me.'

'No, you've not become weaker,' he stepped back in realization. 'You've had a change of heart. It was her, wasn't it?'

Thor let his guard down for an instant and the battle begun once again. The two brothers fought their way around the throne room once more but this time with more violence, force and destruction. The throne and the surrounding ice structures shattered when their bodies were thrown into them. Thor was becoming tired from the battle but it was not physical. He swung his hammer and his rival crashed into the ground. He stepped over and looked down into his blue eyes.

'Loki, why do we do this? We are brothers.'

'No, we're not,' he said through clenched teeth. 'We never were.'

Bringing his golden spear forward, he pierced the skin of his older brother. Carefully standing up and pushing onward, he then violently pulled away. Stumbling back, Thor grabbed the wound on his side that was now spilling blood. His head rose to look at Loki. His expression was torn between shock and sadness at what he had done. His hands were trembling around the golden staff which was dripping with blood. They stared at each other.

'I only wanted to be your equal,' uncontrollable tears came out of Loki's eyes. 'But you always had to take the light away from me. Thor, the eldest child. Thor, the heir to the throne. Thor, the strong one.'

'I didn't mean to belittle you, Loki,' his emotions flickered as well. 'Please, we can make things right again.'

'Yes, we can make things right again,' he composed himself. 'First, I'm going to take everything you love and destroy it.'

'Do you think that will make things right?' He clenched Mjolnir in frustration.

'Second, I'm going to claim Lady Samantha as my own,' he smiled with evil intentions. 'Third, I intend to cover my tracks so no one will never know.'

'What have you been planing?' Thor was suddenly serious.

'All the realms will bow down to me, if not they will share the same fate as Jotunheim.'

An evil grin appeared on his face and Thor only knew what he had done was not good. Taking in a deep breath, he engaged his younger brother, his closest friend, in battle once again. The pain in Thor's heart was unbearable. At what point did Loki diverge onto such a cruel path? What made him so cold and unkind? He swung and his opponent simply stepped out of the way to knocked him down.

'I grow tired of this child's play,' Loki lowered his staff to him. 'It's time to put things into course.'

'Loki!'

That same smirk appeared on his face as before and he disappeared before his brother could stop him. Thor stayed on the ground holding his side. Reacting quickly, he ran out of the chamber to look for his brother and to help the next victim from certain doom. There were so many places where he could be or could have gone. Running through the palace, Thor stopped dead in his tracks and gazed upon the Bifrost. It was in use. What was his brother thinking?

Samantha stood and grabbed her only defense as soon as Loki entered the room. The remains of the frost giant were now gone and a thick silence hung in the room. The dark haired man clad in green curiously walked up to the resting place of the All-Father. His expression softened just enough to show sadness. Samantha looked at him. Despite everything he had done, he still had room in his dark heart to have feelings for his father.

'Loki,' she said softly. 'Why are you doing this?'

'I only wanted his love,' he frowned.

'How do you know he doesn't love you?'

'Pity brought me into the house of Odin,' he sneered. 'A way of peace between two enemies. I've been a captive all my life.'

'But you didn't know that until now,' she raised her voice. 'How can you neglect years of him giving you affection just over what you recently discovered? How is that justified?'

'You do not understand,' his head snapped around to look at her. 'How can you know of such things, being raised on Earth?'

'I know of such things,' she yelled at him as he came closer. 'Ask me if I hate Marco for keeping secrets from me? No, because I know he did it to protect me and I forgave him.'

'You forgive so easily,' his face was suddenly calm. 'Is there room for me?'

Samantha's eyes widened when Loki appeared next to her and grabbed her arm. Her body stiffened as the chambers of the Odin King disappeared and was replaced by a golden dome. With the sudden change of scenery, Samantha had to blink a few times to really register that she was somewhere else. The hand around her tightened before it pushed her back. She stumbled backward into the steps of the dais of the Bifrost. Loki stepped away from her, waved his hands and the golden staff appeared in it. He stood before her with a look of the utter rage on his face.

'Why do you not have feelings for me?' His gaze burned into her. 'Why did you choose Thor over me?'

'I did have feelings for you once,' she stood up. 'But for the Loki I first met. What happened to him?'

'What happened to him indeed?' He faltered for a moment.

'I cared for you until you locked me in that dungeon,' she raised her voice in anger.

'I was only trying to make you stronger,' he touched her cheek. 'Can't you forgive me?'

'You hurt me so deep that I could never forgive you.'

She slapped his hand away and watched his expression turn dark. Stepping back and climbing to the center of the dais, he slipped his spear into the hold of the Bifrost. The room vibrated and the connection was made. A blast emanated from the placeholder and launched itself through the connection to be unleashed. Wide-eyed, Samantha looked around the room to figure out what was happening. Seeing Loki step away from the placeholder, she locked eyes with him.

'What are you doing?'

'Leaving the Bifrost open can do some damage to the receiving end,' he smiled with a glint of evil in it.

'What's on the other side?' She said slowly, not wanting to know the answer.

'Midgard.'

'No!'

She leapt for the spear to try and pry it out of the placeholder but was stopped by Loki. He simply raised his hand and knocked her out cold. Her unconscious body fell onto the steps of the dais. For a moment, he stood still looking at the consequences of his actions. Samantha lay motionless, clothes drenched in blood, just a few feet in front of him. His actions had caused so much pain. But did that outweigh the pain he felt? The moment of uncertainty disappeared when his dear brother entered the Bifrost. Thor strode into the golden chamber to see his brother standing alone, waiting for him. He quickly looked around to see Samantha on the ground, unmoving and wounded. He was about to go see if she was alright but his brother stepped in the way.

'I have tried to reason with you,' Thor looked at his brother. 'You have to stop this at once.'

'Don't you see, brother?' He stepped down his level. 'She has poisoned our home... She had poisoned you with her mortal ways.'

'You are speaking madness.'

'I'm speaking the truth,' Loki looked down at her. 'And soon no mortal will continue to intoxicate the other realms with their kindness and forgiveness.'

'Loki, you speak in riddles.'

'Midgard will be no more.'

'You cannot destroy an entire realm!'

'Oh, dear brother,' he snickered. 'I already have.'


	13. Chapter 12

The two brothers engaged in battle once again. The situation was more dire than before. Every unsuccessful attack, Thor knew Earth was slowly being destroyed. Loki was just playing with him now, to tire him out. He was skipping around the room using his magic as a distraction. It did not last for long in his favour though. Thor knocked him over and quickly pursued. Sliding along the ground, Loki jumped to his feet to see the axe Samanta had with her. Axe and hammer collided against one another as the battle circled around the spherical space.

'There is nothing you can do, Thor,' he yelled at him. 'You had nothing to do with this.'

'Then whom are you trying to wrong?'

'I want people to know I can be great just as you are,' he placed a palm to his chest. 'I want father to know that I'm a worthy son as well.'

'But he knows.'

'No,' he said through clenched teeth. 'He will never see me beyond what I am.'

'Then why go to such great lengths, Loki, if you cannot change his mind?'

'I don't mean to change it.'

Thor hesitated when a look appeared on Loki's face, one that he had never seen before. It that moment he knew that it was futile to talk or convince his younger brother of anything else. The dark man that stood before him was no longer the brother he knew. Loki was his enemy. Gripping Mjolnir firm in hand, he lunged forward. The battle continued as their weapons clashed together. Loki was weakening though, he was not built for combat like his brother was. Thor attacked hard and he was knocked down to the ground. He raised his hammer to continue when the Bifrost powered down. Both their heads turned to see Samantha with spear in hand.

Loki watched in amazement as Thor abandoned him to join Samantha at the dias. It was the perfect moment to attack considering his brother's attention was elsewhere. But in that moment, he could not bring himself to attack him. Why couldn't he attack him? Something had stopped him but no one other than Loki know what it was. Seeing the couple reunited and smiling brought tightness to his chest. His breathing increased as his grip around the axe tightened. She had looked at him like that once but would she ever again. Would she ever touch his cheek with warmth and love? Frowning, he stood and walked forward. Not if his brother was still around.

Samantha opened her eyes to see a golden roof. It took her a moment to register that she was in the Bifrost and everything instantly came back to her. Struggling to get to her side, she looked around the room to see Thor and Loki in the heat of battle. When did Thor get here? How long had she been out? She lifted her head to see the spear was still in the placeholder of the Bifrost and damage was still being done to Earth. She climbed up the remaining steps and stood. The wound on her body had opened again. Worry and uncertainty crossed her mind when she thought of what to do next. She was not in the best shape to attempt anything let alone stop the Bifrost. Her heart skipped several beats when she grabbed the spear and pulled. Her body stiffened as she tried to contain the power of the spear in her body. It's magic was strong but she was determined to be stronger. Taking a few deep breaths, she stood tall to see the two brothers looking at her. Thor was quickly at her side.

'Are you alright?' She looked at the blood on his clothes.

'Do not worry about me. Are you well?'

Samantha couldn't help but smile at him. He really had changed. The Thor she had first met would have not stopped mid battle to come to the aid of anyone. He caressed her cheek with his thumb before gently stealing a quick kiss. Her smiled widened, he really had changed. He shifted his weight and at the corner of her eye she saw something green heading towards them. Pushing Thor of the way, she blocked the attack with the spear. Kicking him in the stomach, she followed Loki down the dias. It took a lot of effort for her to continue attack and she could feel the wound at her side bleeding. Faltering once, he knocked her down and took the spear. Lifting up her head, she saw Loki leap towards Thor. They engaged in battle once again. Slowly rising to her feet, she tried to grab Loki and he simply pushed her aside. Stumbling back, she looked at them. It would be impossible for her to join the battle. She was not at their level. Her eyes then fixed upon the golden spear. There was something she had to try.

The two brothers were matched in combat now that Loki sported two weapons. Samantha followed them around the Bifrost waiting for her opportunity, all the while her heart raced. Thor was knocked down and Loki was taking a moment to enjoy the look of his brother on his knees. Samantha then came behind the unsuspecting Loki. He turned around at the last second and swung his weapons. She barely dodged the attack but saw an opening. Thrusting her palm forward, she hit him dead center in the chest. Not quite knowing what would happen, a flash of something knocked him over. Unfortunately, the attack took more out of her than expected and she collapsed. Lifting her head, she met his cold gaze. His eyes were large with shock but something else flickered in them.

'Loki,' she barely whispered.

She lifted her head further to see that Thor was on his feet and heading towards them. At the last possible moment, Loki was on his feet with spear in hand and stabbed him, hard. It was a stab meant to kill. Violently pulling the weapon from his older brother, he stabbed him again for good measure before letting his body fall to the ground. Samantha screamed when she saw the pool of blood begin to form. She had to do something. Struggling to her feet, she made her way to Thor's aide. She had to save him. But Loki was there to block her path. He looked at her with the most curious look as she glared at him. She hit him but he did not moved nor did he show any sign of attacking her. Again and again, she hit him with tears in her eyes. She was exhausted. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her and she struggled against Loki's grasp.

'Let me go,' she tried to get away. 'Let me heal him.'

'You care about him, don't you?' He whispered. 'You would do anything to save him from death?'

'What do you want from me?' She stopped and looked at him.

'Promise me one thing and I'll let you go.'

He lifted his hand to cup her face. Shivers went down her spine as he whispered something into her ear very slowly. She looked away and nodded in agreement. He stepped aside and she ran to Thor's partially convulsing body. Lifting his head, she caressed his cheek and tried to sooth him with her words. Taking a deep breath, she placed both her hands near his wounds. She was flying blind at this point. She wasn't even certain if what she was planning was going to work. All that was going through her mind was that she wanted to heal him. Her eyes widened when Thor started to cough. He opened his eyes and looked at her with a confused look. It had worked. Looking up, the smile on her face disappeared as she saw Loki pointing his spear at them. Before he could speak the spell that would end them, a light blinded them. All their eyes adjusted to see the All-Father.

'Loki,' he said in a soft voice. 'What have you done?'

'Father...' He was searching for the right words. 'I did it for you… I only wanted...'

'I should have known better,' Odin looked down. 'It breaks my heart to do this, my son.'

'Father,' he tried to speak but sobbed instead. 'I just wanted to prove I was a worthy son.'

'You didn't have to, Loki. You always were,' his voice was full of sadness. 'I saddens me greatly but you must be punished for your actions.'

'Father, please,' Loki looked pathetic as he dropped his spear.

'Loki,' a tear fell from his eye. 'I banish you to the room without doors.'

The All-Father waved his hand and Loki disappeared into the darkness and silence of his banishment. He took a moment to himself before turning around to face the two that remained. Samantha looked at the sad golden king before helping Thor to his feet. She had not completely healed him but enough to get him out of there. She tried her best to keep him stable.

'It is good to see you've returned, my son,' he placed a strong hand on his shoulder.

'And to you as well, father,' his smiled disappeared. 'What of Loki?'

'You should know that it pains me to do such a thing to him,' his eyes were sad. 'But Loki needed to be stopped. In time maybe he will see the wrong in his actions.'

'I understand,' Thor lowered his head.

'Lady Samantha, take him to the healing room and tend to him.'

'Yes, All-Father.'

'I must find a way to undo this mess.'

Samantha nodded and helped Thor limp to the healing room. She laid him down on one of the still frozen beds. Getting up and looking through the stock, she found what she needed but it was all still frozen. She thought for a moment and curiously looked at the items with one thought in mind. Laying her hand upon the bandages, the layer of ice disappeared under her fingertips. Was it really that easy that she could control magic with a single thought?

Returning to Thor's side, she helped him take off the layers of his outfit. Slowly peeling off the fabric from his wounds, she found out that she did a better job than expected. It wasn't fully healed but she did stop the bleeding. She cleaned away the dried blood and started to wrap whatever was left. The whole time, she could feel Thor looking at her but she could not look at him. Turning to rinse off the clothes, he took her forearm and she finally forced herself to look at him.

'Something troubles you,' he sat up.

'Yes,' she looked down.

'Would you like to talk about it?' He lifted her chin.

'I don't want to leave Asgard. With my new powers, I would grow faster here than back on Earth. Marco is an excellent trainer but there are some things he does not know.'

'I will speak to my father. In the meantime, you should tend to that would.'

She looked down at her bloodshot clothes. It was a shallow cut which was good but she was more concerned with the amount of blood she might have lost. Wrapping a bandage around it, she pushed back her hair. When was the last time she took a bath? Thor agreed and they prepared to leave. Walking out into the still ice decorated halls, they finally felt the weight of what had happened. Walking around a corner, Samantha slowed when she saw Odin looking out over his kingdom. He acknowledged them and asked them to join him.

'I must thank you both,' he kept looking forward. 'You came to my kingdom's aide even when the odds were against you.'

'Most of the credit should go to Lady Samantha,' Thor smiled. 'I couldn't have done it without her.'

'It amazes me so,' he turned to her. 'I pushed you away to keep my kingdom safe but it was you in the end who saved it.'

'Asgard is my birthplace,' she looked at him. 'It still holds a place in my heart.'

'It seems I have been put into your debt. Is there anything I can do for you?'

'All-Father,' her body stiffened. 'I would like to improve my magic ability before returning to Earth... If it's not too much to ask?'

'That is a lot to ask,' he regarded her for a moment. 'Let it so then… But I must ask one more thing of you, Lady Samantha.'

'How can I help?'

'There is one relic that I posses that will restore Asgard to its former glory. It seems I do not have the proper qualities to wield it, so you must.'

'It would be my honour.'

The golden city of Asgard was restored to its former glory. It did not take long for the people to praise the two who had saved their beloved home. Odin had thanked them graciously and that was enough. But the people insisted on more was necessary. They praised them in the streets and soon showered them with gifts. Thor was enjoying the moment more than anyone but Samantha kept to herself. She was not in the mood for celebrating. Too many things were floating around in her head that were preventing her from enjoying anything. She found herself in the royal orchard, gazing at the beautiful fruit that hung on the trees. Soon they would be glowing with the setting sun. She sat down and leaned back against the biggest tree in the orchard. The bark was warm against her back. The low breeze tugged at her as she heard footsteps approaching. Thor appeared from the other side of the flora.

'How did I know I would find you here?' He looked down at her. 'Are you not cold?'

'It doesn't bother me,' she looked down at the goosebumps on her forearm. 'Maybe just a little.'

Sitting down beside her, he wrapped a part of his cape around her. It was a kind gesture and she couldn't help herself but cuddle up to him with a ridiculous smile on her face. Her expression faded as she rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at the now glowing fruit. She sighed and Thor took her hand.

'What exactly is the room without doors?' She looked at him.

'My father only spoke of it once and very briefly.'

'Where is it?'

'No one knows,' he was clearly sad about the topic of conversation. 'But it is said to be unbearable silence and darkness for all eternity.'

'Is it possible to escape?'

'No,' he looked away. 'You have to be set free.'

Samantha decided to leave the conversation at that. It seemed like a long time since they were last alone together. In the past few days, it seemed that one of them had been busy or surrounded by people. She slowly stood up, took a few steps and looked over her shoulder to see if Thor was going to join her. He did join her but only after a few moments of regarding her with a big smile on his face. She could not believe last time they were in the royal orchard together that she wanted nothing to do with him. Now she found herself holding his hand and wanting to be closer to him.

'You can do magic now,' he broke the silence. 'Among other things.'

'It's going to take a while to get used to that fact,' she leaned closer to him.

'I know the high sorcerer. He would be more than honour to teach you.'

'That sounds great,' she fell silent.

'You do not want that?'

'Thor,' her voice was quiet.

'Yes?'

'Nothing. It's fine.'

Days flowed into one another and soon months had passed. The main banquet hall of the palace was in celebration for a few young men had vowed their lives to protect their realm. Soon they would go on their first adventure together to prove the strength of such vows. The hall was full of people and Thor looked around the room at all the entertained guests but there was one guest he did not see. He smiled at his audience and excused himself. Walking to the lower parts of the palace, he saw a chamber door open and light coming from within it. Inside the chamber hunched over a large book was Samantha. By candlelight, she was still reading and muttering to herself. She seemed frustrated.

'Lady Samantha?'

Her head shot around to look at him with such surprise. She quickly closed the book and placed it on the table underneath a thick cloth. Samantha spun around and looked at him with a casual look. It was obvious she was not supposed to be reading that book or else she would not have reacted in that way. He came more the chamber and curiously looked at her.

'I didn't see you at the banquet,' he looked around at the books and various magical articles. 'What are you doing here?'

'The banquet,' she covered her face with her hands. 'I forgot it was today. I guess I got distracted with my readings.

'More magic?'

'Well, not exactly,' she looked down. 'I'm trying the advanced magic... Just to see if I can do it.'

'What kind of advanced magic?' He looked at her with concern.

With a childish look on her face, she walked over to a pot of dirt on one of the bookshelves and brought it to the table. She looked at him before turning her attention towards the pot. Her expression became very serious as she placed both her hands on top of the dirt. Thor quickly looked at her with a confused look when nothing happened. He was about to touch her forearm when he saw her frowning. His eyes snapped back to the pot when he saw some of the dirt move. Looking back at Samantha, her expression had deepened until a tiny flower spouted from the first. Gasping for air, she stepped back and looked at the flower with great displeasure.

'Loki tried this once,' he reached and touched the flower. 'But yours is not an illusion. How did you achieve this?'

'It's supposed to be bigger,' she breathed deeply.

'You shouldn't play with such magic,' he looked at her with hard eyes. 'You do not know the consequences. It could be killing you.'

'I just want to know what my limits are,' she looked at him with big eyes.

'I don't want to see you getting into trouble over such matters, Lady Samantha.'

'I understand… There's something bothering you, isn't there?'

'No… It's been eight months, you know.'

He looked away for a moment but was brought back by a gentle hand. They shared a moment together before joining the banquet. Samantha was enjoying herself by Thor's side until she was suddenly taken away by some of the women of the court. Thor's eyes followed her as she socialized and drank with the women. They seemed to be really fascinated with her. She was smiling, laughing and her cheeks were exceptionally rosy. Finishing his drink, he walked over to her and politely took her away from her company. They soon found themselves alone and in each other's arms.

Waiting for the sun to break the horizon, Thor took a few moments to himself before gracing the palace with his presence. With shoulders hung, he walked around in the company of his friends. They noticed he was not himself but dared not inquire. He soon excused himself and found himself sitting alone in the garden. His gaze was fixed upon the ground before him. He blinked when a flower suddenly grew to full bloom. A smile quickly appeared when he felt a warm, gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked at Samantha. She had a blank expression on her face and she slowly sat down beside him. She kept looking at him as she took his hand and started to play with his fingers.

'I'm sorry, Thor,' she squeezed his hand.

'You do not have to apologize,' he leaned closer.

'I feel like I should.'

'Then I accept your apology,' he cupped her face. 'I hear you are becoming quite the sorceress.'

'I wanted to learn as much as I could while being here.'

'It seems to come natural to you, from what I've seen.'

'You've watched me?' She stopped and looked at him.

'I can't watch you?'

'No, you can't,' she let go of his hand and pushed him away. Not without my permission, of course.'

'Well, do I have your permission?'

'Maybe...'

'I wish you didn't have to go,' he became gloomy.

He lifted her head to look into her eyes. Slowly but surely, she gave him one of her smiles. He was not ready to see her go. He quickly stole a kiss before she stood up. They shared a moment together before the preparations went into order. She didn't want a huge departure party, something quick and quiet. Samantha turned around to face Thor. She didn't want it to be more emotional than it already was. She knew they were going to see each other again. It wasn't goodbye forever. They were only a rainbow trip away from each other.

'I told Marco I would protect you,' he held her close. 'I can't do that if you are so far away.'

'I think I can take care of myself. Plus, Marco is there.'

'If you ever need-'

'Thor,' she stopped him. 'I'm stronger now. I'm going back with confidence.'

'Then until next we meet.'

With one quick motion, they kissed as if it would be their last. She smiled the smile she was known for and turned towards the gatekeeper of Asgard. It was time for her to finally make it back to Earth. She knew a few people that wanted her back. She was overdue for a homecoming always. Stealing a quick glance over her shoulder, she went into the Bifrost and landed on Earth. The whirlwind of smoke surrounded her. She looked around and tried to figure out where she was.

'Identify yourself?' Yelled a familiar voice.

The whirlwind cleared and a wide, childish smile appeared on her face when she saw the looks the men in front of her were sporting. It seemed they didn't believe she was standing there. Awkwardly waving at them, the sound of a car door slamming drew her attention to a certain agent. Tears filled her eyes as she ran to Marco and wrapped her arms around him. He cried liked a little boy as he mumbled a bunch of stuff. He quickly composed himself and held her at arms' length.

'I thought you were gone forever,' he took at her hard. 'Is everything okay?'

'Yes,' she laughed. 'Thor and I kind of saved Asgard.'

'It took you a year?'

'Oh no… I've been training with the high sorcerer.'

'You have a lot to tell me.'

'You have no idea.'


End file.
